In a recent move that is projected to cost the nursing home industry $4.23 billion, the Biden Administration has proposed a rule mandating nursing homes to increase their staffing. The said law has been publicized on September 6, 2023, and is set to ensure that registered nurses (RNs) and nurse aides (NAs) provide a minimum number of hours per resident day (HPRD) of care. This is part of the Administration’s efforts to ensure that profit isn’t the sole focus of nursing homes, and instead, that the residences’ needs and nurse welfare take precedence.
President Biden in his recently published column has described this move as a “crackdown,” conveying a clear edict to the nursing home industry about prioritizing care over profits. This new proposed rule is projected to have a substantial impact particularly on for-profit facilities.
While the implementation of the rule may result in a financial hit for the nursing home industry, the end goal is to enhance the quality of care for residents, potentially resulting in an improved quality of life for them. By enforcing a minimum number of care hours per resident, the new rule is designed to target facilities that heavily leverage lean staffing models to maximize profits.
In effect, the Administration hopes to pivot the narrative from an industry simply being profit-oriented to one that genuinely prioritizes the well-being and care quality of its elderly residents. The full impact of this proposed rule on the nursing home industry will remain to be seen, and will undoubtedly unfold as the law possibly moves towards its final stages of ratification.