New nursing home rules threaten rural communities

The recent move by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement minimum staffing requirements in long-term care facilities has drawn significant opposition from lawmakers, and rightfully so. Led by representatives like Adrian Smith and Senator Deb Fischer, concerns have been raised about the potentially devastating impacts of these rules, particularly on rural communities like those in Nebraska’s Third District.

U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith has highlighted the disproportionate impact of nursing home closures on rural areas. These closures are exacerbated by workforce shortages, which have only been aggravated by the pressures of the ongoing pandemic. Implementing arbitrary staffing ratio mandates, as proposed by CMS, threatens to exacerbate these issues, placing more communities at risk of losing access to essential long-term care facilities altogether.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer has echoed these concerns, emphasizing the potential devastation these rules could wreak on nursing homes across the country. Her legislation, the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act, seeks to prevent the implementation of these rules and establish an advisory panel to identify alternative solutions that won’t harm seniors’ access to care. With over 90 organizations endorsing her efforts, it’s clear that there is widespread concern about the impact of these rules.

The proposed rule from CMS, which would require 75% of nursing homes to increase staffing to comply, fails to consider the unique challenges faced by rural areas. In states like Nebraska, where historic staffing shortages are already a pressing issue, meeting these standards would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Instead of addressing these challenges, the rule threatens to exacerbate them, pushing already struggling facilities to the brink of closure.

It’s evident that the Biden administration needs to reconsider its approach to addressing staffing issues in nursing homes. Rather than imposing one-size-fits-all mandates that fail to account for the realities of rural communities, the administration should be focusing on promoting innovative solutions to build up the workforce. This includes extending successful staffing flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and working collaboratively with lawmakers and stakeholders to identify targeted, effective strategies.

As representatives like Adrian Smith and Sen. Deb Fischer have rightly pointed out, the current approach to nursing home staffing rules is deeply flawed and could have dire consequences for rural communities across the country. It’s time for the administration to listen to these concerns and work towards solutions that support, rather than undermine, access to essential long-term care services for seniors in rural America.