Bipartisan bill establishes an advisory panel on nursing home workforce challenges to increase seniors’ access to care
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act – new legislation pushing back against a proposed “one-size-fits-all” rule that could result in the closure of rural nursing home facilities and delays in seniors’ access to care. The bill would create a new advisory council to assess the workforce needs of nursing homes in rural and underserved communities, to ensure future policies take into consideration the challenges seniors and providers face in accessing high-quality care and staff.
“We’re strengthening rural nursing home care by pushing back against a misguided federal rule that could result in the closure of rural nursing home facilities. I support efforts to ensure our seniors receive the best care from dedicated nursing and health staff, but a one-size-fits all approach does not work for Arizona communities,” said Sinema.
The Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act responds to a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to set minimum staffing standards in nursing homes – a “one-size-fits-all” approach that does not account for local, community-by-community challenges. Many nursing home providers, including nonprofit and faith-based providers, have voiced concerns that the proposed rule sets unrealistic staffing thresholds that could result in facility closures and worsen workforce challenges.
The Sinema-backed legislation would establish an advisory panel on nursing home workforce issues, conduct a national assessment of workforce needs, and provide recommendations to strengthen care and investments in the rural health care workforce.