PBJ News Topic

Minimum Staffing Roundup

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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Study: Nursing home staffing in disadvantaged neighborhoods

August 8, 2022

Our Take: A study found that nursing homes located in severely disadvantaged neighborhoods had RN staffing rates 30% lower and PT/OT staffing 38% lower than facilities in less deprived areas. This analysis used…

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Study of antipsychotic use connection to staffing levels

August 1, 2022

Our Take: A cross-sectional study found that higher licensed nurse staffing hours are statistically associated with lower rates of inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing, with RN and LPN hours showing the strongest effect. ▼ For…

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Research shows COVID-19 vaccination mandates don’t negatively affect nursing home staffing

July 29, 2022

Our Take: A cohort study published in JAMA Health Forum found that state-level COVID-19 vaccine mandates increased nursing home staff vaccination rates without worsening reported staffing shortages. Researchers concluded the findings support extending…

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Staffing Minimums digest: Federal legislation, State mandates, Agency costs, and Legal challenges

July 28, 2022

Our Take: Federal and state efforts to impose minimum staffing requirements on SNFs are intensifying, even as providers face a labor shortage, rising agency costs, and inadequate Medicaid reimbursement. Legal challenges, proposed PBJ-linked…

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Research on COVID staffing finds policy action can stabilize staffing levels

July 22, 2022

Our Take: A cohort study published in JAMA Health Forum found that severe COVID-19 outbreaks caused lasting declines in nursing staff levels, with total staffing hours falling 5.5% below pre-outbreak levels 16 weeks…

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CMS issues significant updates to improve the safety and quality care for long-term care residents

June 30, 2022

Our Take: Effective with the July 2022 refresh, CMS added six staffing measures to the Five-Star Quality Rating System, incorporating weekend staffing levels and annual staff turnover, while limiting the overall star bonus…

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Study confirms lower turnover linked to higher quality of care

May 7, 2022

Our Take: A peer-reviewed study using PBJ data found that higher staff turnover was consistently associated with lower quality across all Five-Star Quality Rating System domains. Total nurse staff turnover averaged 53.4% at…

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To advance information on quality of care, CMS makes nursing home staffing data available

January 30, 2022

Our Take: CMS began publicly posting nursing home staff turnover rates and weekend staffing levels on Care Compare in January 2022, using PBJ data since 2016. These turnover and weekend measures will be…

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Maggots, rape and yet five stars: how U.S. ratings of nursing homes mislead the public

March 16, 2021

Our Take: The payroll-based journal data collection is a new playground for journalists and researchers. The more data you have, the more you can analyze and interpret it. The New York Times claimed…

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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…

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…

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…

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