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Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act
3/21/2025, 4:17 PM
Summary of Bill S 750
The bill is designed to address concerns about the impact of the final rule on nursing home staffing levels and the quality of care provided to residents. By prohibiting the implementation of the rule, the bill aims to ensure that nursing facilities have the flexibility to determine their own staffing levels based on the needs of their residents.
Additionally, the establishment of an advisory panel on the nursing home workforce will provide a platform for experts in the field to offer recommendations and guidance on how to improve the quality of care provided in nursing facilities. This panel will play a crucial role in shaping policies and practices that support a well-trained and adequately staffed nursing home workforce. Overall, Bill 119 s 750 seeks to promote better outcomes for residents of nursing facilities by allowing for more tailored staffing solutions and by fostering collaboration and innovation in the nursing home workforce.
Congressional Summary of S 750
Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act
This bill prohibits administration, implementation, or enforcement of the rule titled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting, which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on May 10, 2024.
Specifically, the bill prohibits administration, implementation, or enforcement of provisions that, among other changes, (1) establish minimum staffing standards for nurses in Medicare and Medicaid long-term care facilities, including requiring a nurse to be onsite 24/7 and requiring a minimum of 3.48 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day; and (2) require state Medicaid programs to report on payments to direct care workers and support staff of nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Also, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish an Advisory Panel on the Nursing Home Workforce. The panel must report annually to Congress, including on workforce shortages and barriers to accessing nursing homes in rural and underserved areas.
