April 14, 2025
A federal judge in Texas has struck down a Biden administration rule that would have imposed a nationwide staffing minimum for nursing homes. The rule, set to begin phasing in by 2026, would have required facilities to have a registered nurse on-site 24/7 and provide at least 33 minutes of RN care per resident each day. Rural facilities would have had an extra year to comply.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled that while the policy aimed to address serious staffing and oversight issues in the industry, it exceeded the authority of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by nursing home operators, who argued the standards were unworkable given ongoing labor shortages. The Trump administration is not expected to appeal the ruling.
The decision halts the staffing mandate but leaves other parts of the 2024 rule, such as Medicaid transparency requirements, in place. For now, the ruling eases regulatory pressure on nursing homes, but it also adds uncertainty. CMS hasn’t indicated whether it will revise the rule, and some states may pursue their own staffing standards.
PALTmed has long urged CMS and federal leaders to invest in the post-acute and long-term care workforce, noting that a trained and supported team is the foundation of high-quality care for the nation’s most vulnerable residents. For more about PALTmed’s past statements, go to this article and read this. Click here to read PALTmed’s letter on the final rule.
