AHCA is starting 2023 off with a grassroots campaign to CMS regarding the minimum staffing mandate. The proposed rule will be released in early May and AHCA wants its members to help shape the rule. A minimum staffing mandate would be detrimental to the long term care profession. Workforce levels continue to be at a 30-year low and a struggle for many facilities across the country. The sector has lost more than 220,000 caregivers since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. A staffing minimum would only exacerbate the workforce issue and ultimately affect the lives of our residents.
AHCA’s goal is to submit 3,000 letters to CMS by February 28, 2023. Sending a letter is easy to do via the
Action Center page. Instructions are available on the page and will guide you in your letter writing with information to include. AHCA also held a
webinar on submitting letters, you can
click here to watch it.
It is crucial for providers to reach out to CMS and let them know that a minimum staffing mandate is not the answer to the workforce crisis. Additional resources can be found on AHCA’s
Advocacy page, including an issue brief on the minimum staffing mandate.