Iowa, Nebraska, 18 other states sue feds to block staffing mandates for nursing homes

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Nebraska Examiner

By: Clark Kauffman - October 9, 2024 6:44 pm

The state of Iowa, where nursing homes have compiled one of the nation’s worst records for staffing-level violations, has joined 19 other states in suing the Biden administration to block the implementation of new staffing requirements. Those states include Nebraska.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, seeks to overturn the nursing home staffing requirements approved earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In their petition, the 20 states and more than a dozen industry associations argue that the new staffing requirements pose “an existential threat to the nursing home industry as many nursing homes that are already struggling will have no choice but to go out of business. And the main victims will be the patients who will have nowhere else to go.”

The lawsuit is in response to CMS’ decision in April to finalize new minimum staffing standards that will require homes to conduct assessments of their residents’ needs and provide 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident, per day. The rule also requires the homes to have a registered nurse available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.


Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/09/iowa-19-other-states-sue-feds-to-block-staffing-mandates-for-nursing-homes/

[Old Crank]

1. Right to life states

Want the right to kill grandma and grandpa for profits

[kerouac2]

2. Greed not need

Until you've had someone you care about in a nursing home or care facility, you just assume they have enough staff, decent food, nurses and doctors. Then you find out the reality is, they usually don't. It's about making money, not care.

Here are some of the largest nursing home corporations:

The Ensign Group
As of 2023, this California-based corporation had the highest net patient revenue (NPR) of any skilled nursing facility (SNF) corporation, at $3.35 billion. The Ensign Group has been involved in many mergers and acquisitions in recent years.

Genesis HealthCare
This Pennsylvania-based corporation had the second highest NPR in 2023, at $2.23 billion. Genesis has 241 SNFs and 29 assisted living facilities.

Providence Administrative Consulting Services (PACS)
This Utah-based corporation had an NPR of about $2.59 billion in 2023. PACS has 168 SNFs and seven assisted living facilities.

[Butterflylady]

10. You are on point.

It's all about money, who cares about the residents.

[in2herbs]

3. After the Harris pronouncement of wanting to fund LTC and in-home services these nursing

home execs should be worried that they'll soon be out of a job.

[slightlv]

4. All this private hedge funds

Buying up everything having to do with health care, human and animal alike, should be brought to a dead stop. They are famous for liading up debt, making a fortune on maintenance and contract fees, then selling assets before selling the company or hitting bankruptcy.

But I am of a mind that there should certain things walled off hedge funds, venture capitalists, and all those involved in late stage capitalism.. anything that pertains to the life, freedom and health of human or critter should be off limits. That includes the private prison industry.

Just as no politician should have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body, no corporation should be in charge of a person's personal safety and freedom, and certainly no corporation has the right to decide when I should die, based on their profit margins. I'm just kinda funny that way.

[Marthe48]

5. After surgery in August this year

my friend was sent to a rehab center. She told her sister and me that the hospital social worker gave her a list of places and told her to pick one. As far as I know, my friend had no counseling or advice. Just pick one. The place could not manage her care, was not equipped to handle her needs. She was in there from 8/27 to 9/27. Then she went to hospice and she died on 10/1

We are in Ohio. The rehab center was understaffed daily, which I saw every day I visited her. I would have to go out in search of any kind of employee for any assistance for my friend. Her sister and I did what we could, but we couldn't change the dressings on her wounds, lift her around, give her pain meds that eased her pain. We weren't on her HIPPA, so didn't have a say in the options she might have had. The bedding was dirty, she asked repeatedly for pain meds, always delayed. She fell twice, once while she was being transferred by a P.T. from chair to bed (really), got a uti, stopped eating. There was a doctor who came once a week and spent 2 minutes talking at people in there, or talking over them, as if the person were already a corpse. I can't tell you how she fought to regain her health for months, but going to that rehab center was the end of her.

The hospice center was better staffed, more attentive and safer. Too bad that level of care isn't available in rehab centers.

[milestogo]

12. Wherever there is understaffing, the staff are stressed out and there is high turnover.

If you find a good worker, the bad situation will drive them away.

[moniss]

6. I guess the case is titled

"We'll Ignore Grandma Any Way We Want v. US"

[angrychair]

7. Republicans truly hate everyday Americans

I just don't know how we overcome this type of stuff. If they win it will condemn thousands to a painful and lonely death.

Republicans truly hate regular people. They want a world of hate, misery and suffering. Truly depressing.

[bluestarone]

8. They are the true DEATH PANELS that they accused us of!

[Butterflylady]

9. I worked for a bunch of nursing homes.

Believe me, these homes really, really, really need more HELP and better pay for nursing help. I've seen it with my own eyes. That's why Kamala wants Medicare to pay for home care. It would help the elderly keep them in their homes which is what elders want.

[PSPS]

11. An honest headline would be "20 republican states sue feds to block staffing mandates for nursing homes."