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OIG Study: HHS watchdog probes enforcement of nursing home staffing standards

August 30, 2020

Our Take: The HHS Office of Inspector General’s review of how CMS enforces nursing home staffing requirements signals continued federal scrutiny of staffing compliance and reporting accuracy. Skilled nursing facilities should expect increased…

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Study finds nursing homes rarely have enough RNs on staff

July 30, 2019

Our Take: A review of PBJ staffing data found that most nursing homes rarely met expected registered nurse (RN) staffing levels based on resident acuity and CMS expectations. The findings highlight the growing…

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Research claims that under competitive pressure, nursing homes appear to game rating system

July 18, 2019

Our Take: This research examined whether nursing homes near Five-Star staffing thresholds increased reported staffing after CMS raised staffing cutoffs, without corresponding improvement in a key resident outcome. ▼ For skilled nursing facilities,…

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Kaiser and NYT analysis: ‘It’s Almost Like a Ghost Town.’ most nursing homes overstated staffing for years

July 30, 2018

Our Take: A bombshell joint Kaiser Health News and New York Times report brought nursing home staffing into the spotlight and cast a bright light on payroll-based journal data – in the first…

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PBJ News Topics

Read about PBJ regulations, research & news impacting SNFs

Most Recent PBJ News

NJ SNF sues CMS over PBJ audits, citing no appeal rights

April 22, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: A New Jersey skilled nursing facility filed a federal lawsuit on April 21, 2026, alleging that…

SNF pay rate proposals bring heightened CMS enforcement

April 10, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

Our Take: CMS has proposed a 2.4% Medicare rate increase for SNFs in FY 2027 while simultaneously expanding…

Minnesota SNF wage floor implementation delayed as CMS review restarts and provider associations file federal lawsuit

April 9, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: Minnesota’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board was created in 2023 to set binding wage floors and…

New York minimum staffing mandate journeys through workforce shortages, enforcement, and legal challenges

April 8, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: New York’s 3.5-hour minimum staffing requirement has progressed from contested legislation to active penalty assessment. State…

Democratic bills revive minimum staffing debate

March 30, 2026

Minimum Staffing Roundup

Our Take: CMS repealed the nursing home minimum staffing rule in early 2026 following court defeats. Key provisions…

CMS nursing home funding campaign grows to $200 million

March 16, 2026

Minimum Staffing Roundup

Our Take: CMS has expanded its nursing home staffing campaign from $75 million to $200 million. Proposed with…

PBJ technical specifications changed

March 16, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

Our Take: CMS made minor updates to the PBJ data specification for uploaded PBJ files. Users can no…

The effects of labor unions on nurse staffing ratios

March 2, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A Health Affairs study of 321 newly unionized nursing homes from 2013 to 2021 found that…

Did state staffing mandates add direct care staff or hurt SNF finances?

March 2, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A study of 6,849 nursing homes in 22 states found that state minimum staffing mandates raised…

Medical Director compliance under increasing federal and state scrutiny

February 23, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: Federal regulators and state lawmakers are intensifying scrutiny of SNF medical directors. OIG is actively reviewing…

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