CMS Expects To Set New Nursing Home Staffing Standards Within A Year

Modern Healthcare: CMS Eyes 'Full-Court Sprint' To Nursing Home Staffing Minimums Rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to establish minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes within a year, agency officials told industry representatives Thursday. There's no timeline yet for all of the more than 20 other initiatives President Joe Biden proposed during the State of the Union address last week, the officials said during a conference call. "We are on a full-court sprint toward new regulations, new safety guidance and new systems," said Jonathan Blum, CMS principal deputy administrator and chief operating officer. (Christ, 3/10)

In more nursing home news —

USA Today: Nursing Home Ratings: How Facilities Fared During COVID Surge, 2020-21
More than 140,000 people have died in U.S. nursing homes from COVID-19. Major outbreaks have been chronicled across the nation. But, until now, comparing nursing home outcomes was a nearly impossible challenge for consumers. USA TODAY compiled data filed by more than 15,000 homes and, for the first time, published indicators of how each performed in a five-month surge of COVID infections and deaths starting October 2020. This tool also shows ratings that correspond to federal recommended staffing. (Fraser and staff, 3/10)

USA Today: This Nursing Home Chain Stood Out For Nationally High Death Rates As Pandemic Peaked
Residents at Trilogy’s 115 campuses died of COVID-19 last winter at twice the national average for nursing homes, USA TODAY found, based on figures facilities must file weekly with the federal government. Presented with USA TODAY’s findings, the company said it had mistakenly reported hundreds of deaths during the surge. (Stein, Fraser, Penzenstadler and Lowenstein, 3/10)

Nj.Com: Why Is This N.J. Nursing Home Ranked So Poorly? Look At The Troubling Numbers.
Woodland Behavioral Health and Nursing Center at Andover, still under threat of losing its state license as well as the federal funding it needs to keep running, has been named as one of the worst nursing homes in New Jersey. Administrators at the nursing home in Sussex County have said little about the ongoing crisis at one of the largest long-term care facilities in the state. But data collected by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows many of the problems of Woodland Behavioral stem from a lack of enough people to care for its more than 450 residents. (Sherman, 3/10)

The CT Mirror: Bill Requiring Nursing Homes To Spend More On Direct Care Won't Advance
A bill that would require the state’s nursing homes to use 90% of their Medicaid funding on direct care for residents won’t advance out of the legislature’s Aging Committee this session, but proponents vowed to revive the measure next year. The controversial proposal drew support from advocates who want greater transparency from the industry and a guarantee that most of the funding is being spent on resident care. Nursing home executives testified against the bill, saying the mandate would put difficult constraints on spending. (Carlesso, 3/11)

In more Medicaid and Medicare news —

North Carolina Health News: Lawmakers Hear Unvarnished Support For Medicaid Expansion 
Lawmakers from a bipartisan committee formed to consider the possibility of Medicaid expansion had a lesson in numbers a week ago when they met for their second meeting. Big numbers, too. Millions and billions of state and federal dollars that could be saved or put to other uses by extending the benefit to some 500,000 North Carolinians who could qualify for the health care coverage if North Carolina took the same action 38 other states have. North Carolina is one of only 12 states that has not taken advantage of Medicaid expansion, something that became possible as a result of the Affordable Care Act. (Hoban, 3/11)

CIDRAP: Non-COVID Post-Hospital Deaths Highlight Pandemic Consequences
While Medicare beneficiary hospitalizations for non–COVID-19 diagnoses fell sharply in March and April 2020 and stayed low through September 2021, death rates after hospitalization rose substantially—particularly for Black and Hispanic patients, finds a study yesterday in JAMA Network Open. University of Texas and Johns Hopkins researchers analyzed claims data from 8,448,758 Medicare admissions to 4,626 US hospitals for non-COVID indications from January 2019 through September 2021. Average patient age was 73.7 years. (3/10)