LINCOLN- On September 1st, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed a new rule to ensure that long-term care residents receive a minimum number of daily nursing hours and require a registered nurse to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that the rule is an "important first step" to hold nursing homes accountable and ensure residents receive high-quality care.

However, some nurses in Nebraska, as well as the state's congressional delegation, don't see the rule the same way. According to Jalene Carpenter, president and CEO of the Nebraska Nursing Facility Association, the proposal "blatantly disregards" the pressing workforce crisis plaguing Nebraska, especially in nursing homes and assisted living communities. Carpenter went on to say that around 53% of Nebraska's nursing facilities would not be able to meet the proposed requirements, and that only 67% of the facilities could currently meet both requirements.

"The proposed rule is completely out of touch with Nebraska's reality," said Carpenter, "This proposed rule isn't a path to quality. It is a path to closure." In a letter to Brooks-LaSure, all five of Nebraska's congressional representatives asked for clarification, adding that they are concerned about "unique compliance challenges" in rural states such as Nebraska. The letter also notes concern over the proposal's definition of "urban" areas as towns with more than 5,000 people. The lawmakers said they believe this definition would block many rural areas from an extended implementation timeline meant to benefit rural long-term care facilities.

For the full article click HERE