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Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing

Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing

By Tarena Lofton

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An Instagram slide shows a photo of gavel resting on its block. The slide's headline reads, "Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing." The blurb underneath it reads, "The decision could leave thousands of residents in homes that are too short-staffed to provide proper care."
An Instagram slide with a solid black background has text that reads, "In Texas, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk blocked a federal rule to boost staffing at nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid. He said Congress had not given the Department of Health and Human Services the authority to make such sweeping changes. The rule was enacted last year by former President Joe Biden’s administration and would have been phased in starting in May 2026."
An Instagram slide with a solid white background and a thin black line on the right has text that reads, "Finalized in April 2024, the staffing regulation would have required nursing homes to have registered nurses on staff around the clock and to maintain minimum numbers of nurses and aides. About 4 in 5 facilities would have had to increase staffing. The nursing home industry says many homes cannot afford to increase their workforces and, even if they could, there is a scarcity of trained nurses. "
An Instagram slide shows a faded image of a doctor escorting an elderly patient in a nursing home behind a black background." Text on the slide reads, "The quality of care in the nation’s nursing homes and the lack of adequate staffing for their residents has been a concern for decades. Inspection reports have found homes that leave residents lying in their own feces, suffering severe bedsores and falls, contracting infections, choking on food while unattended, or ending up back in a hospital for preventable reasons."
An Instagram slide with a solid white background has text that reads, "The staffing mandate isn’t dead for sure. The Trump administration still could appeal the judge’s ruling, though that seems unlikely. And Republicans in Congress are eyeing a repeal of the rule to pay for tax cuts they want to make, so they may want it in place a little longer. "

A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes, even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care. KFF Health News walked through the decision from the judge and what it could mean for nursing home staffing.

This slide presentation first appeared on KFF Health News’ Instagram account. If you enjoyed this story from the KFF Health News social team, follow us on Instagram: @kffhealthnews.

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