AHA Statement on CMS' Repeal of Minimum Staffing Requirements For Skilled Nursing, Long-Term Care Facilities

Stacey Hughes
Executive Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy
American Hospital Association

December 2, 2025

The AHA applauds CMS’ repeal of the misguided minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities. The AHA has repeatedly raised concerns that the requirements could exacerbate workforce shortages, lead to facility closures and jeopardize access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities that often do not have the workforce levels to support these requirements.

The AHA appreciates the Administration's recognition that safe staffing of any health care facility has always been about clinical judgment and flexibility to meet continually evolving patient needs rather than meeting arbitrary, one-size-fits-all numbers set by regulation.

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