Senator Kevin Cramer writes,
December 04, 2025
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formally repealed Biden-era minimum staffing requirements for long-term care facilities (LTC), which affected nearly 1.2 million residents across the nation. The rule exacerbated workforce shortages and significantly harmed access to care in rural communities. Reversal of the mandates demonstrates a commitment to “practical, sustainable approaches to improving nursing home care, and allows for further opportunity for engagement with community and Tribal stakeholders,” according to HHS.The 2024 rule required applicable nursing homes to provide residents with a minimum total of 3.48 hours of nursing care per day, including at least 0.55 hours from a registered nurse per resident per day, and 2.45 hours from a nurse aide per resident per day. It mandated each facility have a registered nurse onsite 24/7. HHS said these measures disproportionately burdened rural and underserved communities already grappling with critical health care workforce shortages.U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) raised concerns over the harmful impact of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) staffing ratio for rural communities and North Dakota families. He led multiple efforts, including bipartisan legislation, to push back against the rule, culminating in the passage of the Working Families Tax Cut Act which included a 10-year moratorium on enforcement of the staffing mandate.
Translated from Republican speak... it is costing the nursing home too much!
The American Hospital Association writes,
In a statement, Stacey Hughes, AHA executive vice president, said, "The AHA strongly believes that a skilled, caring workforce is integral to delivery of high quality, safe care. Yet, the process of safely staffing any health care facility is about much more than achieving an arbitrary number set by regulation. It requires clinical judgment and flexibility to account for patient needs, facility characteristics and the expertise and experience of the care team. CMS’ one-size-fits-all minimum staffing rule for nursing homes creates more problems than it solves and could jeopardize access to all types of care across the continuum, especially in rural and underserved communities that may not have the workforce levels to support these requirements.
Surprise, surprise! They are in favor of the cuts. And not surprisingly the nurses don't like it. Nurse writes...
Nursing and consumer advocates, however, have expressed deep concern that rescinding federal minimum staffing standards could weaken protections for residents and increase workloads for nursing staff. Advocacy groups warn that without a clear national floor, some facilities may prioritize cost savings over staffing adequacy, potentially worsening burnout, turnover, and resident outcomes unless states and individual operators adopt strong standards of their own.
This is not surprising coming from the Trump administration, this couple with nursing schools not being covered under the profession loans. Anything for business t make a buck! Screw the people!
