Judge Rules Nursing Homes Don't Have to Comply with Staffing Rule

A Federal Judge has ruled that nursing homes will not have to comply with new staffing rules set by the Biden Administration. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas ruled in in favor of the American Health Care Association and vacated the rule, stating that the requirement that nursing homes have nurses on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week exceeds the authority of CMS. However, the Judge did not vacate other parts of the rule that were not challenged in court, including a requirement that facilities develop a staffing plan to maximize recruitment and retention. Click here for the ruling.

• Though they are controversial, cameras in care facilities are gaining ground. By 2020, eight states had joined Minnesota in enacting laws allowing them, according to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Since then, nine more states enacting laws: Connecticut, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Legislation is pending in several others. California and Maryland have adopted guidelines, not laws. Click here for more.