NRHA Statement on Federal Court Vacating Long-Term Care Staffing Rule

The National Rural Health Association issued the following statement in response to a federal district court in Texas vacating the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities rule:

"This week, a federal judge in Texas vacated the Medicare and Medicaid Program Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities’ rule, which would have put unduly burdensome staffing requirements on nursing homes with no true exceptions for rural facilities. The National Rural Health Association is pleased to see this rule overturned and peace of mind returned to our rural long-term care providers. Rural areas continue to experience a dearth of nursing professionals and NRHA encourages the Administration to work on innovative ways to alleviate rural health workforce shortages rather than impose overreaching, one-size-fits-all rules that threaten to limit access to care for older adults and their families across rural America." – Alan Morgan, CEO, National Rural Health Association 

We encourage you to read NRHA's comment on the proposed rule and contact Alexa McKinley Abel with any questions.