Nursing Home Staffing Rule Undercut by Array of Exemptions

Some nursing home residents may never feel the benefit of new beefed-up staffing requirements because a complex mix of waivers and exemptions could allow some facilities to avoid key provisions of the mandate for years.

The Social Security Act and other federal laws allow states and the Health and Human Services secretary to waive nursing homes’ compliance with new staffing mandates for licensed nurses and nursing aides, say those who follow the industry closely.

Thousands of facilities will likely be eligible for an exemption, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which issued the staffing requirements last month. ...