Xavier Becerra Secretary at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Official website
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced historic actions to support family caregivers, boost compensation for care workers, and improve care options in nursing homes. These actions, announced during Care Workers Recognition Month, are part of President Biden's commitment to improve the quality of care in federally-funded facilities.
"HHS has been at the center of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to improve care and caregiving for Americans at all stages of their lives," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. The new rules aim to enhance care for residents and improve conditions for workers, ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality health care.
One of the key rules announced is the "Minimum Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes," which establishes national minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. "Nursing home workers provide vital care for residents, and by improving working conditions and wages, we can enable them to provide safer, higher quality care," stated a representative from the administration.
The rules also include the "Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services" and the "Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Managed Care Access, Finance, and Quality." These rules will improve access to care and accountability for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries, as well as set historic national standards for payments to direct care workers.
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure emphasized the administration's goal of ensuring that health coverage connects people to consistently high-quality care. The rules will create tangible, consistent standards for millions of individuals, regardless of where they live, improving access to care when needed.
The Access Rule will strengthen home and community-based services (HCBS) by setting payment standards for direct care workers and requiring states to report on quality measures. The Managed Care rule will establish a quality rating system for Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans, allowing beneficiaries to compare plans based on quality and access to providers.
Overall, these actions represent a significant investment to support America's families and workers, as well as to improve the safety and quality of care in nursing homes. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to bolstering the health care workforce and ensuring that the contributions of workers in the long-term care sector are appropriately valued.
