The American Hospital Association sent letters to the Senate and House June 25 urging them to stop CMS from enforcing its final rule on minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities.
"[T]his final rule could lead to delays in urgent medical care as patients coming into hospital emergency departments (EDs) may experience longer waits as EDs and inpatient beds are occupied by patients awaiting nursing home placements," the AHA wrote.
The association also expressed concern that the requirements could hinder care delivery innovations and lead to reduced capacity in nursing homes.
"Lastly, we believe this final rule could exacerbate the already serious shortages of nurses and skilled health care workers across the care continuum," the AHA wrote. "The agency estimates that 79% of LTC facilities would have to increase staffing to meet the proposed standards, including the new standard requiring 24/7 RN staffing."