Concerns continue after CMS delays staffing rule unveiling

Skilled nursing providers who had readied themselves for the unveiling of a national staffing mandate as part of the 2024 pay rule were left reading the tea leaves this week after federal regulators delayed their announcement.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Tuesday that it was still committed to issuing a rule “later this spring.” 

On Monday, the American Hospital Association took the unusual step of standing alongside AHCA on what has traditionally been viewed as a post-acute issue. In a letter sent to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks La-Sure, the two heavyweight associations urged not to enact a staffing mandate that could further harm the nursing home sector’s workforce. 

“Federal staffing mandates for nursing homes in the middle of a labor crisis would exacerbate the current access to care crisis,” they wrote. “We anticipate many nursing homes will be forced to further reduce their capacity and even close their doors if they are unable to meet these staffing mandates. This would accelerate the domino effect across the entire continuum of care and leave vulnerable seniors with fewer care options.”

Few think CMS will actually abandon its proposal altogether, but at least for now they are pleased to have extra time to prepare for the rule.