The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant issues to light within the health care workforce and patient care, particularly in nursing homes. In response to this, new regulations are being implemented across the country.
The Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently established new minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes nationwide and set new pay standards for home- and community-based health care services. These changes will have a direct impact on long-term care provided to low-income disabled individuals and the elderly, who receive support from federal Medicaid funds managed by states.
The goal of these new rules is to improve the wages and services provided by health aides who assist patients with various tasks in their homes, such as bathing, meals, and medications. According to Jennifer Lav of the National Health Law Program, a significant proportion of these workers are immigrant women earning low wages. With these changes, Medicaid will now allocate more healthcare spending directly to benefit these workers.
In addition to improving pay for health aides, the regulations also include new standards for minimum staffing levels at nursing homes. This encompasses registered nurses, nurse’s aides, and other personnel. According to Robin Rudowitz of KFF, only a small percentage of nursing facilities currently meet these requirements. Employers will be given time to meet these new staffing levels.
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