Blog
Action Alert: Support LD 451 - An Act to Ensure Transparent and Accountable Temporary Nurse Agencies
- By: Ben Hawkins
- On: 03/09/2023 13:20:04
- In: Legislative/Government Affairs
As you likely know all too well, temporary nurse agency costs have skyrocketed. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, our nation's hospitals and long term care facilities have coped with intense pressure on staff and resources. Temporary nurse agency costs have increased by 466% since 2019 for hospitals and almost doubled for nursing facilities between 2017 and 2021. These escalating costs are primarily paid for by MaineCare and go into the agencies' profit margins. These rising rates are making the cost of care unaffordable and risk sending our state's health care system on a downward spiral.
If left unchecked, temporary nurse agencies will continue to make the cost of care unsustainable. Increasing the transparency and accountability for temporary nurse agencies is in the best interest of our patients.
LD 451 - An Act to Ensure Transparent and Accountable Temporary Nurse Agencies introduces several steps to help Maine begin to address this problem.
Use our tool to contact the HHS Committee before the LD 451 hearing on Thursday, March 16 at 2 PM. The sooner you send your message, the better.
Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org