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OIG Audit Finds CMS’s PBJ Oversight Fell Short: 5% of RN Staffing Hours Unsupported

June 18, 2026

Our Take: A new HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit found that CMS was not effective in ensuring SNFs accurately reported RN staffing hours through PBJ. OIG estimates SNFs misreported roughly 938,000…

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

April 8, 2026

Our Take: New York’s 3.5-hour minimum staffing requirement has progressed from contested legislation to active penalty assessment. State fines of up to $2,000 per day are being levied against noncompliant facilities – even…

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CMS Special Focus Facility program ‘crack down’ on troubled nursing homes ends use of staffing

January 28, 2026

Our Take: A CMS memo originally added staffing to the Special Focus Facility program but later shifted away from staffing. SNFs in the SFF program face escalating civil monetary penalties beginning at program…

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Media assesses impact of federal minimum staffing mandate on their states’ nursing homes

November 20, 2024

Our Take: Media analyses reveal that the vast majority of nursing homes currently fall short of the new minimum staffing thresholds. State associations, operators, and industry groups across Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, New…

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COVID-19 public funding’s impact on nursing homes

November 4, 2024

Our Take: A 2024 Health Affairs study found that COVID-19 public health emergency funds masked declining nursing home finances. Nonprofit facilities lost $31.18 per resident day by 2022 once PHE funds were reduced.…

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Do Medicaid payment rates cover the costs of care in nursing homes?

October 11, 2024

Our Take: A October 2024 ASPE report analyzed 13,285 nursing homes across 44 states and found that Medicaid reimbursement covers just 82 cents per dollar of actual care cost. 40% of SNFs are…

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CMS updates staffing & turnover measures on Care Compare

October 4, 2024

Our Take: CMS issued memo announced updates to Nursing Home Care Compare staffing ratings and quality measures driven by the MDS transition from Section G to GG. Updates to the case-mix methodology came…

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Ideas emerging to help SNFs overcome workforce shortages

October 31, 2023

Our Take: The CMS minimum staffing rule moved through its fall 2023 comment period. Operators, advocates, and analysts shared strategies to increase staffing levels such as increasing the available pool of nursing, lowering…

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Analyses predict high annual cost of staffing mandate

October 10, 2023

Our Take: Multiple independent analyses released in fall 2023 estimate the cost of the proposed nursing home minimum staffing mandate. From CMS’ estimate at $4.1 billion to Leading Age’s $7.1 billion, providers warn…

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CMS reveals differing opinions on minimum staffing approach

August 10, 2022

Our Take: CMS issued the FY 2023 SNF proposed rule and included a formal Request for Information on establishing federal minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities. The rule drew more than 3,000…

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PBJ News Topics

Read about PBJ regulations, research & news impacting SNFs

Most Recent PBJ News

Staffing lawsuits increase scrutiny on employment levels & wages

July 1, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: Multiple lawsuits all turn on the same underlying evidence: payroll-based journal hours, timecards, and staffing schedules…

PBJ Reporting Moving to iQIES System

June 30, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

Our Take: CMS is retiring “QIES,” its first PBJ submission system. Starting August 17, 2026, all staffing data…

New US DOL joint employer rule impacts senior care

June 26, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a new joint employer rule under the Fair Labor Standards…

SCOTUS Upholds Administration’s Decision to Strip TPS From Haitian & Syrian Immigrants

June 25, 2026

Latest PBJ News

Our Take: The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal courts cannot block the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary…

Tort Immunity and Nursing Home Staffing

June 1, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A study of 13,205 nursing homes found that states giving SNFs immunity from COVID-19 liability reduced…

Is minimum staffing at play in the mid-term elections?

May 20, 2026

Minimum Staffing Roundup

Our Take: Senate Democrats outlined plans to revive nursing home staffing standards, expand Medicare-covered home care, and tighten…

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…

Invisible staffing churn in nursing homes: CMS turnover metrics miss a growing short-term workforce

April 18, 2026

PBJ Research & Analysis

Our Take: A Health Affairs Scholar study found that CMS’ turnover metric is likely understating real facility churn…

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…

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