PBJ News Topic

Minimum Staffing Roundup

Federal and state minimum staffing mandates create PBJ reporting and compliance pressures for skilled nursing operators

August 3, 2023

Our Take: Most SNFs fall below proposed staffing minimums, and operators must prepare for both Federal and state mandates. ▼ Meeting state minimums does not guarantee federal F725 compliance, meaning facilities must evaluate…

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Research shows impact of PPP loans on staffing in US nursing homes

July 27, 2023

Our Take: A JAMA Network study found that nursing homes receiving Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans – which required 60–75% of funds be directed to staffing- experienced significant increases in CNA and LPN…

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Study suggests staffing shortages during the pandemic strained nursing homes

July 27, 2023

Our Take: A study in JAMA Network Open used PBJ data from eight U.S. markets to document how COVID-19-era staffing shortages drove administrators to adopt agency staffing, overtime, and admission reductions to maintain…

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AHCA lobbies against potential minimum staffing regulations

July 25, 2023

Our Take: Trade associations, and provider groups mounted a sustained campaign against an expected minimum staffing mandate. Citing a workforce more than 200,000 jobs below pre-pandemic levels, AHCA, LeadingAge, and the AHA consistently…

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JAMA Study Finds Just 18% of Nursing Home COVID-19 Cases Received Antiviral Treatment

July 14, 2023

Our Take: JAMA research found that only 17.8% of the 763,340 nursing home COVID-19 cases tracked between May 2021 and December 2022 were treated with antivirals. 41% of facilities reported never using any…

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Leaked CMS study finds no single staffing level guarantees quality care in nursing homes

June 30, 2023

Our Take: A comprehensive report prepared under contract to CMS by ABT Associates was inadvertently published in August 2023. The report found no single staffing level that would guarantee quality care in nursing…

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Congress weighs in on possible minimum staffing rules

June 1, 2023

Our Take: During the first half of 2023, federal lawmakers sent competing signals to CMS on the proposed minimum staffing mandate. A bipartisan bloc from rural states warned that a one-size-fits-all rule could…

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CMS readies nursing home staffing mandate proposal, reviews study recommendations

May 15, 2023

Our Take: CMS completed a year-long minimum staffing study in early 2023 and committed to issuing a proposed rule this spring. The delay amid pushback from operators, industry associations, and bipartisan federal lawmakers…

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Research finds nurse staffing shortages linked to 10 percent jump in resident deaths

May 10, 2023

Our Take: A peer-reviewed study found that staffing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic were directly associated with reduced nurse staffing hours and a statistically significant 10.5% increase in weekly resident deaths. The findings…

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White House order aims to tie nursing home Medicare payments to worker retention

April 18, 2023

Our Take: President Biden signed an executive order directing HHS to build on minimum staffing standards and condition a portion of Medicare payments on how well nursing homes retain workers. Industry associations expressed…

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PBJ News Topics

Read about PBJ regulations, research & news impacting SNFs

Most Recent PBJ News

PBJ Reporting Moving to iQIES System

August 17, 2026

PBJ Policy & Enforcement

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

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…

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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