AHCA/NCAL Sends Letter to Federal Trade Commission on Staff Agency Price Gouging

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 10/21/2021 12:56:21
• In: National Affiliate News

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and long term care facilities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, sent a letter this week to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan, requesting assistance with an anti-competitive practice with direct care staffing agencies.

In the letter, AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an unprecedented workforce crisis within the long term care sector. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing homes and residential-care facilities employed three million people in July, down 380,000 workers from February 2020. Providers are doing all that they can to hire and recruit workers, including sign-on bonuses, wage increases and referral bonuses.

Amid these circumstances, direct care staffing agencies are charging exorbitant prices to long term care facilities that need workers. AHCA/NCAL requests that the FTC use its authority to investigate this price gouging and take appropriate action to protect long term care facilities.

Read the full letter here.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org