Wichita Standard

Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas has voiced criticism against the Biden administration's proposed federal mandate on staffing levels in nursing homes. In an op-ed published by The Hill, Estes argues that the new rule could negatively impact both nursing homes and their residents. He suggests an alternative approach through his bipartisan bill, which aims to address workforce challenges while maintaining quality care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule requiring every nursing home in the U.S. to have a registered nurse (RN) on-site at all times, compared to the current requirement of eight hours daily, five days weekly. The rule also includes new minimum staffing ratios for RNs and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) per resident per day.

Estes points out that nearly 15,000 nursing homes across the country are struggling with workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas where staffing is more challenging. In Kansas alone, over half of the nursing homes are located in rural regions. The nationwide decline in the nursing home workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic began is exacerbated by rising inflation and labor costs.

According to Estes, implementing this rule would require finding an additional 3,267 RNs to meet the 24/7 requirement and would cost $349 million annually. Additionally, meeting the minimum staffing ratio would necessitate hiring over 12,000 RNs and 76,000 CNAs nationwide at a cost of $4.2 billion per year.

Estes criticizes CMS for excluding licensed practical nurses (LPNs) from counting toward these requirements, arguing that this further limits available staff resources.

In response to these challenges, Estes introduced the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act earlier this year. This bill aims to address CNA shortages by allowing nursing homes with suspended in-house CNA education programs due to violations to resume them once quality standards are met.

Estes urges the Biden administration to delay implementing any federal minimum staffing rules until sufficient plans are established to build up necessary workforce levels.