Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition Opposes CMS Final Rule on Minimum Staffing Standards for LTC Facilities

DATE: April 22, 2024

The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), the leading national voice for the long-term care pharmacy sector, released a statement today regarding its opposition to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on minimum staffing standards for long-term care (LTC) facilities. 

In November 2023, SCPC joined a chorus of voices opposing the proposed CMS rule and the harm it will cause LTC facilities still struggling to regain solid footing amid workforce issues and other challenges. Our specific issues with the staffing rule include:  

1. Inadequate workforce to meet the proposed staffing requirements.
2. Inadequate Medicaid reimbursement to meet the proposed staffing requirements.
3. Inadequate flexibility for operators already dealing with many other requirements. 
4. Unduly complex when overlaid on existing state staffing requirements.
5. Unintended consequences will undermine overall quality of care for residents in LTC facilities and threaten the economic viability for significant subsets of the LTC facility and LTC pharmacy markets.

“We are disappointed that the final staffing rule by CMS does not incorporate the long-term care (LTC) sector’s clear and legitimate concerns regarding the viability of a federal minimum staffing proposal and its potential for adverse resident outcomes. This burdensome mandate will have significant implications on seniors’ access to quality care across LTC settings. Ultimately, it will limit access to nursing facility care for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, undermine overall quality of care and services for LTC facility residents, and threaten the financial viability of LTC facilities as well as LTC pharmacies,” said Alan Rosenbloom, President and CEO of the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition. “At a time when our healthcare industry is already facing a multitude of challenges, including significant issues in finding an available workforce, we should be looking for innovative solutions to improve quality, accessible and affordable care, for all patients. We are committed to working with elected officials and CMS representatives to ensure those that we serve in the LTC industry receive the high-quality care they deserve regardless of their healthcare setting.”

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