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CMS Encourages States to Use Medicaid Payments to
Nursing Homes to Drive Better Health Outcomes for Residents, Improve
Staffing
In support of President Biden’s plan to improve the nation’s
nursing homes, CMS outlines actions for states to improve safety and
quality of care for residents
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
issued an informational bulletin detailing actions that states can take
using existing Medicaid authorities to drive better health outcomes for
nursing home residents and improve staff pay, training, and retention
efforts. The informational bulletin – issued by CMS’ Centers for Medicaid
and CHIP Services (CMCS) – also provides examples of current state Medicaid
initiatives to support this work.
Earlier this year, President Biden announced a comprehensive set of
reforms to improve the safety and quality of nursing home care,
hold nursing homes accountable for the care they provide, and make the
quality of care and facility ownership more transparent so potential
residents and their loved ones can make informed decisions. As part of the
implementation of these reforms, CMS is working to support state Medicaid
agencies in ensuring the best care possible for beneficiaries living in
nursing homes.
“Our loved ones living in nursing homes deserve the highest
quality of care, dignity, and respect,” said Health and Human Services
(HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “At HHS, we’re taking another critical step
to implement President Biden’s bold set of reforms to improve our nation’s
nursing homes. We call on all states to work with us and ensure everyone
has access to the high-quality care they deserve.”
“Today’s action is an important step toward accomplishing the
Administration’s goals of strengthening the quality of care,
accountability, and transparency in our country’s nursing homes for
Medicaid enrollees. States can implement a number of initiatives described
in this guidance immediately,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita
Brooks-LaSure. “Medicaid enrollees residing in nursing homes will only
experience better care through collaboration between states, CMS,
providers, and other partners, and we look forward to working closely with
them on this important effort.”
To ensure nursing homes are adequately resourced and staffed,
CMS is urging states to tie Medicaid payments to quality measures that will
improve the safety and quality of care.
“We know that low wages for staff can contribute to frequent
turnover and dangerous staffing shortages at nursing homes, so we encourage
states to work with these facilities to find solutions for training and
improving staffing,” said Administrator Brooks-LaSure.
In addition to this informational bulletin, CMS continues to
encourage states strongly to achieve a more equitable balance between the
share of spending and use of services and supports delivered in home and
community-based settings relative to institutional care like nursing homes.
As another key priority of the Biden-Harris Administration, CMS is
committed to strengthening the availability of Medicaid-covered home and
community-based services (HCBS) as an alternative to institutional care. As
a result of the American Rescue Plan, states are planning to invest $25
billion to expand, enhance, and strengthen HCBS, the largest investment
ever in HCBS.
Read the full informational bulletin sent to states: Medicaid nursing facility payment approaches to
advance health equity and improve health outcomes
Read the White House fact sheet: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of
Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes
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