Nursing Home Staffing Push Fuels Debate Over How to Pay for It

The Biden administration’s push for federal nursing home staffing requirements has entered the rulemaking phase, and industry leaders, academics, and advocacy groups are asking the same questions: How much will it cost, and who’s going to pay for it?

Spurred by the Covid deaths of more than 154,000 U.S. nursing home residents and staff, a proposal for mandatory minimum staffing levels would fulfill a decades-long quest to shore up the quality and uniformity of care in the nation’s 15,000-plus nursing homes.

Some industry critics say the facilities should pay the entire cost for any needed staff additions.

“There’s no evidence ...