Indiana healthcare professionals warn new federal nursing home rules could negatively affect care

INDIANAPOLIS — Over the next five years, Indiana nursing homes will roll out new minimum staffing rules approved by the Biden Administration.

This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began implementing updated staffing rules for nursing homes. However, some Indiana healthcare professionals say that those rules, while well-intentioned, will make access to care even worse for Hoosiers.

”It is absolutely not a feasible rule,” Paul Peaper, the Indiana Health Care Association President, said.

According to Peaper, nursing homes across the state will struggle to comply with new minimum staffing rules.

”The amount that Indiana providers would need to meet the staffing requirement would be about $100 million per year at the low end,” Peaper said.

Under these rules, skilled nursing homes would need to provide at least three-and-a-half hours of daily clinical staff support to residents, and have a registered nurse on-site 24/7.

”That’s where we’re set up for failure,” Kitra Corder, Indiana District 5 Healthcare Coalition, said.

Corder said there simply aren’t enough RNs to man nursing homes 24/7.

”We’ve had a nursing shortage for the past two decades,” Corder said. “That is not going to change in 3-5 years.”

The IHCA said 30 Indiana counties only have one or two skilled nursing homes. While the Biden Administration said it will give rural nursing homes more time to comply, Corder said it won’t be enough.

”Without an exemption, those places are either going to have to diversify in some way, or just close their doors,” Corder said.

The IHCA said Congress is considering bipartisan legislation that could delay or stop the new rules from going into effect.

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