Feds propose overhauling nursing home regulations

The Obama administration announced this week plans to modernize the rules nursing homes must follow to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid payments (Source: “New Regulations Would Require Modernizing Nursing Home Care,” Kaiser Health News, July 13, 2015).

The hundreds of pages of proposed changes cover everything from meal times to use of antipsychotic drugs to staffing.  Some are required by the Affordable Care Act and other recent federal laws, as well as the president’s executive order directing agencies to simplify regulations and minimize the costs of compliance.

“Today’s measures set high standards for quality and safety in nursing homes and long-term care facilities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. “When a family makes the decision for a loved one to be placed in a nursing home or long-term care facility, they need to know that their loved one’s health and safety are priorities.”