Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven has collaborated with Senator James Lankford to introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution aimed at overturning a recent rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The rule imposes federal staffing mandates on long-term care facilities, which the senators argue will adversely affect rural nursing homes.

"The Biden administration continues its regulatory onslaught, this time placing burdensome and unworkable staffing mandates on long-term care facilities," stated Hoeven. "Our CRA will stop these overly broad mandates that will put rural care facilities in North Dakota and across the country out of business. Instead of one-size-fits-all mandates, CMS should be working with Congress to ensure that we have workable rules that protect patient care and work for long-term care facilities in rural communities."

Lankford echoed similar concerns: "Oklahomans shouldn’t lose access to health care because of overly broad and unrealistic rules from Washington, DC. The Biden Administration’s staffing requirements won’t fix workforce shortage problems or solve care quality problems, but they will make it even harder for seniors in rural areas to get care in their own communities. Our seniors deserve high-quality care. Instead of expecting a vague blanket policy to solve nuanced problems, CMS should work with Congress to ensure quality care while also ensuring patients are not displaced due to arbitrary mandates. I am leading the fight to prevent one-size-fits-all requirements from forcing rural nursing homes in Oklahoma to close."

The bipartisan resolution is supported by Senators Joe Manchin, Mike Braun, Jim Risch, Kevin Cramer, Roger Marshall, Deb Fischer, Jerry Moran, Bill Cassidy, Cynthia Lummis, Mike Rounds, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Joni Ernst, Katie Britt, Shelley Moore Capito, Jon Tester, Bill Hagerty, John Boozman, Markwayne Mullin, Tom Cotton, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins John Cornyn Mike Crapo Steve Daines Marsha Blackburn John Barrasso John Thune Roger Wicker and Mike Lee.

Hoeven had previously opposed the rule when it was proposed by CMS last year and urged the Biden administration to rescind it. In a letter co-signed by 27 colleagues addressed to CMS officials Hoeven wrote “We understand the importance of ensuring beneficiaries of federal health care programs have access to safe and high-quality nursing care. In fact we share your intended goal of improving the quality of care for seniors However a one-size-fits-all staffing mandate significantly undermines access to care for patients particularly in rural communities Instead CMS should work with Congress and stakeholders on policy alternatives that address the severe workforce challenges in our states’ underserved areas.”