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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.

Nursing Home Minimum Staffing and Medicaid Transparency Final Rule

The White House signaled the final rule release as part of an early morning announcement and fact sheet on April 22. Later that afternoon, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final rule. The final rule will be published in the federal register on May 10 and effective on June 21, 2024, however, there are staggered implementation dates for different elements of the rule ranging from 90-days to 5 years in certain cases.

The final rule includes provisions for minimum staffing standards that will be enforced as part of CMS’ existing survey, certification, and enforcement process for nursing homes. CMS will also display determinations of compliance on Care Compare and require nursing homes to post a public notice if they are out of compliance, so it is easily visible for staff and residents.

Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Final Rule (CMS-2442-F)

The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services (Access rule) final rule seeks to advance access to care and quality of care and improve health outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries across fee-for-service (FFS) and managed care delivery systems, including home- and community-based services (HCBS) provided through those delivery systems.

The Access rule aims to address critical dimensions of access across both Medicaid FFS and managed care delivery systems, including for HCBS. These improvements seek to increase transparency and accountability, standardize data and monitoring, and create opportunities for states to promote active beneficiary engagement in their Medicaid programs with the goal of improving holistic access to care.