The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published final rules setting nurse staffing standards for nursing facilities, as promised by President Biden’s nursing home reform agenda. The final rules establish three separate and independent nurse staffing requirements: 

• A facility assessment process
• 3.48 hours per resident day (HPRD) of total nursing care (.55 HPRD registered nurse (RN), 2.45 HPRD nurse aide, and .48 HPRD of RN, nurse aide, or licensed practical nurse)
• RNs 24 hours per day, seven days per week in every nursing facility. 

This Alert discusses the facility assessment process, whose revised requirements become effective for all facilities on August 8, 2024. The numerical staffing requirements do not go into effect for two to five years, depending on whether the facility is rural or non-rural. 

Read the final rule here.

For more on this rule, click here.