LINCOLN- A new proposal put forth by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which would require a minimum of 0.55 hours of care per resident per day to be provided by registered nurses, has drawn criticism from the governors of Nebraska and Iowa. Gov. Pillen said he met with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to voice his concerns over the federal staffing requirements.

Under the new proposal, long-term care facilities would also be required to have a registered nurse onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Earlier this month, Govs. Pillen and Reynolds, alongside 13 other governors, sent a letter to President Biden asking him to reconsider the proposal, arguing that the "one-size-fits-all" staffing rules will "force many long-term care facilities to close and erode health care access."

Last Monday, Pillen met personally with USDHHS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in Washington, D.C. to discuss his concerns. "I appreciate the time that Administrator Brooks-LaSure took to hear our concerns and understand the circumstances that are currently plaguing our nursing workforce and nursing homes," said Pillen in a press release following the meeting, "My hope is that this meeting provided a better understanding of the dynamics that exist in Nebraska, and the potential impacts, especially in our rural areas."

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