May 2022 KY State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program E-Newsletter

Request For Information on Revising the Requirements for Nursing Facilities to Establish Mandatory Minimum Staffing Requirements

Attention residents, consumers, family members and advocates: your feedback is needed!

On April 15, 2022, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that included requests for information regarding the implementation of a minimum staffing standard in nursing homes and input on measuring health disparities in resident outcomes. The request for information follows the Biden Administration’s February 28, 2022 proposal of significant nursing home reforms. CMS states it plans to propose a minimum staffing standard within one year. As CMS’ request for information states, numerous studies have documented the relation between higher staffing and better health outcomes. In its request for information on a minimum staffing standard, CMS poses seventeen questions and asks for public input. It is important that all advocates for nursing home residents take the time to respond to these questions. 

Read the entire e-newsletter here.