(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration took a first step toward requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services asked for public feedback on the issue Monday and said it plans to release a proposal within a year. The agency, which spends $35 billion a year on nursing home care for the elderly and disabled, said it's also considering tying some payments to the level of staff turnover, which has been linked to quality of care.
The proposal is part of President Joe Biden's broad agenda to bring greater scrutiny to a U.S. nursing-home industry whose patients and workers have been devastated by Covid-19. The industry opposes mandatory staffing limits due to labor shortages. Nursing facilities say they've lost about 15% of their workforce since the pandemic began, even as employment in other health-care settings has rebounded.
CMS said its goal is “to determine the optimal level and type of nursing home staffing needs.” The agency also plans new measures on infection control, total nursing hours and how many patients are discharged to the community.
Read more: Bed sores and weight loss prompt return of nursing home training standards
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