The Biden administration's nursing home overhaul plan to implement federal nursing home staffing requirements has led industry experts to question the cost and sources of funding, Bloomberg Law reported April 21.
Some experts say facilities should pay the entire cost for staffing additions, while others say Medicare or federal funding is needed to meet the requirements.
"We recognize the need to hire more caregivers and offer more private rooms, among other ongoing improvements," Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, said in a letter to HHS. "But we must also recognize that the government funding to bring forth these improvements is not currently there."
Implementing a federal minimum staffing standard for nursing homes would cost at least $4.9 billion a year, a March 21 study published in Innovations in Aging found. CMS is conducting a study to determine the appropriate level of mandatory care and subsequent finances before the plan is announced next year.