Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a $700 million nursing home reform bill into law May 31.
The state will increase its annual nursing home fund of $2.5 billion by roughly $700 million, with $100 million coming from a general revenue fund and the rest from federal funds and local nursing home assessments, The Chicago Tribune reported May 31.
The new law connects facilities' funding increases to care quality and staffing levels, according to the Tribune. Facilities will have to meet at least 70 percent of federal staffing level rules, and payments will also be based on the home's CMS quality star rating.