Biden To Propose Nursing Home Safety Measures During State Of The Union

AP: Biden To Launch Ambitious Overhaul Of Nursing Home Quality
President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union speech to launch a major overhaul of nursing home quality, including minimum staffing levels and steps to beef up inspections while continuing to keep COVID-19 at bay. White House officials on Monday outlined more than 20 separate actions, many of them sought by advocates and opposed by the industry. One major missing element: New sources of federal financing to pay for the ambitious upgrade. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/1)

Modern Healthcare: Biden To Announce Nursing Home Reforms In State Of The Union Address
Under Biden's directive, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will publish regulations addressing safety and quality. That will include minimum staffing requirements, standards to reduce overcrowding, rules to address the overuse of antipsychotic medications and stepped up inspections and enforcement, including financial penalties for noncompliant nursing homes. Biden previously proposed minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, along with a requirement that a registered nurse be on duty at all times. The administration wants Congress to empower CMS to publicly hold nursing home chain owners—with histories of safety and quality failures—to account. CMS also will investigate the consequences of private equity firms owning nursing homes, which has been linked to poorer care. (Hellmann and Goldman, 2/28)

The Washington Post: Biden Vows To Crack Down On Poorest-Performing Nursing Homes 
The White House on Monday announced plans to boost nursing home staffing and oversight, blaming some of the 200,000-plus covid deaths of nursing home residents and staff during the pandemic on inadequate conditions. Officials said the plan would set minimum staffing levels, reduce the use of shared rooms and crack down on the poorest-performing nursing homes to reduce the risk of residents contracting infectious diseases. The White House also said it planned to scrutinize the role of private equity firms, citing data that their ownership was linked with worse outcomes and higher costs. (Diamond and Roubein, 2/28)

In related news about covid deaths among the elderly —

USA Today: COVID-19 Lockdowns Linked To 26% Surge In Dementia Patient Deaths
Deaths among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease accelerated at a faster pace during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic as routine care was disrupted for many with memory and cognitive problems, according to a study published Monday by the journal JAMA Neurology. In a study of nearly 27 million adults enrolled in Medicare from March through December 2020, deaths among patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia surged 26% compared with the same period in 2019. Deaths among Medicare-age patients without the disease increased 12% during the first year of the pandemic, the study found. (Alltucker, 2/28)

USA Today: COVID Death Certificates In New England More Accurate, Analysis Shows
It was the tail end of a cold Massachusetts winter when many of Dr. Larissa Lucas' nursing home residents stopped eating and drinking. Others were sleeping more than usual, or especially groggy during their waking hours. There were no high fevers or coughs – no obvious symptoms. And yet, starting in March 2020, Lucas would check on her residents and find they’d died quietly. A test result returned too late or a post-mortem swab would confirm it: they were positive for COVID-19. (Barndollar and Bergin, 3/1)

And more about President Biden's State of the Union address —

AP: Biden Steps To State Of The Union Lectern At Fraught Moment 
Facing disquiet at home and danger abroad, President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address at a precipitous moment for the nation, aiming to navigate the country out a pandemic, reboot his stalled domestic agenda and confront Russia’s aggression. The speech Tuesday night had initially been conceived by the White House as an opportunity to highlight the improving coronavirus outlook and rebrand Biden’s domestic policy priorities as a way to lower costs for families grappling with soaring inflation. But it has taken on new significance with last week’s Russian invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saber-rattling by Vladimir Putin. (Miller and Long, 3/1)

Politico: State Of The Union 2022: What To Know Ahead Of Biden's Speech 
President Joe Biden is scheduled to appear before a joint session of the 117th Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives to deliver the 2022 State of the Union address at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday. (Benson, 2/28)