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LeadingAge Iowa is a statewide membership organization of non-profit providers of aging services and supports and the champion for advancement and innovation in aging services. Our mission is to be the voice, support and connector for non-profit members and the people they serve. Our membership is diverse, representing the spectrum of non-profit long-term support and service providers including skilled nursing, assisted and independent living, PACE, home health, adult day, respite, hospice and home delivered meals. Our members serve over 25,000 older adults in Iowa each day. HHS Repeals Federal Nursing Home Staffing Rule Following Legal Challenge by LeadingAge Iowa The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has formally repealed portions of the 2024 minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities, originally issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This decision follows a successful legal challenge by a coalition of states and providers, including LeadingAge Iowa. Read MoreFederal Judge Rules in Favor of LeadingAge State Affiliates On June 18, federal judge Leonard T. Strand issued a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs to vacate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staffing standards included in the final rule. The plaintiffs, including 17 LeadingAge State affiliates, two Kansas nursing home providers, and 20 states attorneys general filed to vacate the staffing mandate final rule in its entirety. Similar to the case in Texas filed by LeadingAge and American Health Care Association (AHCA), the plaintiffs argued that CMS lacks the statutory authority to issue such a rule, that the rule is contrary to law, and the provisions are arbitrary and capricious. Judge Strand ruled in favor of the plaintiffs as it relates to the minimum staffing hours and the 24/7 RN requirements. However, Judge Strand ruled in favor of HHS/CMS regarding the facility assessment and state Medicaid reporting requirements. Read More |
