AMAC Joins Over 1000 Signatory Organizations to Protect Rural Seniors’ Access to Healthcare

Implementation of the unfunded, one-size-fits-all rule amid a historic and nationwide labor shortage threatens nearly 300,000 nursing home residents. This mandate will neither improve care nor address the workforce crisis.

Dear Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Neal:

The undersigned organizations are writing to you today urging your support for the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 5796). As you know, in September of 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule for minimum staffing in skilled nursing facilities. Implementation of the unfunded, one-size-fits-all rule amid a historic and nationwide labor shortage threatens the displacement of nearly 300,000 nursing home residents. This mandate will neither improve care nor address the workforce crisis.

Without workforce development programs and funding, a staffing mandate will not create more caregivers. This impossible standard only threatens to shut down more nursing homes – creating further hospital backlogs – and severely limit access to care for our nation’s most vulnerable seniors. Without a pipeline of new caregivers and resources to recruit, nursing homes will be forced to downsize to meet these requirements or close.

Since the federal staffing mandate was announced, there has been a growing consensus among Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, long-term care advocates, and healthcare experts that the proposal will hurt our most vulnerable residents and their families and that the Biden Administration should reconsider its implementation.

The Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act (S. 3410/H.R. 5796), introduced by Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07) and Greg Pence (R-IN-6) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jon Tester (D-MT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Joe Manchin (D-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in the U.S. Senate, would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary from finalizing the proposed nursing home staffing rule. The legislation would also establish an advisory panel on nursing home staffing. It would include voices from both urban and rural communities and range from nurses to licensed administrators to CMS. Within 60 days following their initial meeting, the panel would submit a report to Congress that analyzes workforce shortages and makes recommendations to strengthen the workforce (including investments in training for health professionals).

The bill has several national, state, and care provider organizations endorsing it, as you can see from the many voices that have signed below. Now is simply not the time to implement a nursing home staffing rule that could severely impact the healthcare continuum and access for patients to critical care. We are requesting the advancement of H.R. 5796 and are here to answer any questions you may have on our support for the bill and our concerns about a nursing home minimum staffing rule.

Sincerely,

Bob Carlstrom
President
AMAC Action