CMS Proposed Minimum Staffing Rule Update (SNF)

HCAM and the American Health Care Association (AHCA) continue to advocate against the Minimum Staffing Mandate, for which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule on September 1, 2023. HCAM recently sent a member update with details about the Minimum Staffing Rule and links to helpful resources. 

Michigan Statistics: 71% of skilled nursing facilities would not meet the certified nurse aide requirement of 2.45 hours per resident day; 41% of SNFs would not meet the RN requirement of .55 hours per resident day, and almost no skilled nursing facility would meet the 24/7 RN requirement. To meet the ratio, in our state over 2,600 full-time nurse aides and more than 460 full-time RNs would be needed. Conservative estimates to implement the mandate in Michigan show the total cost would be over $140 million dollars. 

Advocacy Needed: Now more than ever, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) needs to hear from you! It is imperative to share the impact of the proposed rule on your facility, residents, staff and community. CMS is collecting stakeholder feedback through November 6, 2023. AHCA established a portal to submit your comments to CMS and included guidance on key information to include. 

Two AHCA webinars about the mandate, “CMS’s Minimum Staffing Proposal” and “Contacting CMS on Minimum Staffing Requirements,” now have archived recordings available. Log in using your AHCA username and password.