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Biden Announces Swift Changes to Nursing Home Regulatory Compliance

During last nights State of the Union address President Biden announced upcoming regulatory changes for nursing homes to include:
  • The establishment of minimum staffing requirements and conducting a new study to determine the level and type of staffing needed to ensure safe and quality care.
  • Plans to reduce resident room crowding, with CMS planning to explore ways to accelerate phasing out rooms with three or more residents and to promote single-occupancy rooms.
  • An update of the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program by proposing new payment changes based on staffing adequacy and the resident experience, as well as how well facilities retain staff.
  • Lastly, the agency will launch a new effort to identify what it calls problematic diagnoses and refocus efforts to continue to bring down the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications.
In addition, Biden states that there will be an ‘overhaul' of The Special Focus Facility program to “more quickly improve care … including changes that will make its requirements tougher and more impactful.”

MHCA will closely follow the working happening at the national level by AHCA/NCAL. In a recent statement by Mark Parkinson, President and CEO, "AHCA will continue to fight poor policy with every asset available, and released a statement on the Administration's nursing home plan. We will provide additional information and schedule a member-wide call later this week." In response to the Biden administrations announcement the following webinars are scheduled: 

AHCA/NCAL Post-State of the Union Member Webinar
Friday, March 4, 2022
1:00-2:00pm
Join President & CEO Mark Parkinson and the AHCA/NCAL team for a member webinar to discuss the details of President Biden's proposals for nursing homes presented during the State of the Union address and the Association's response. Registration is required, and the webinar is available to all AHCA/NCAL members. It will be recorded. All registrants will be notified by email when the recording is available.
REGISTER HERE
 
CMS Nursing Home Stakeholder Call to Focus on Administration's Vision for Nursing Homes
March 10, 2022
3:00-4:00pm EST
CMS has announced that the next National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call will further outline the details of the Biden Administration's nursing home vision. CMS shared that the implementation strategy will be through these national stakeholder calls, list serves, and collaboration with residents, families, providers, and other stakeholders.

Staff Contact: dwatford@mehca.org

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