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McKnights: “BREAKING: CMS intends to repeal nursing home staffing rule”
There seems to be an interim final rule that is at the Office of Management and Budget from CMS that would repeal the minimum staffing rule that was finalized in April 2024. OMB technically has 90 days to review the rule before it is passed on for posting to the Federal Register. Since it is an interim final rule, this means there will be no comment period. It is not clear whether the rule rescission will just for the minimum staffing standards and 24/7 RN component or the rule in its entirety. Either way, it seems there may be hope on the horizon. Read more about this update on McKnights, including the Administration’s appeal of the Iowa and Texas courts’ rulings.
CMS Added a Study of Misleading MA Marketing Practices to Its Work Plan
There have been widely publicized concerns from the public and policymakers regarding Medicare Advantage (MA) plans’ aggressive and deceptive marketing practices. Now the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has announced it will be looking into these practices from 2020 to 2024. Specifically, OIG will study the actions taken by agents and brokers that led to complaints and the incentive structures that encouraged brokers to change individuals’ enrollments. LeadingAge has highlighted concerns from members about such deceptive practices, including our Programs of All Inclusive Care (PACE) organizations about MA brokers and agents that enticed PACE enrollees to drop their PACE coverage for attractive supplemental benefits of an MA or special needs plan (SNP). Often the beneficiaries were unaware that they had to disenroll from PACE to receive the promised benefits. LeadingAge is pleased to see these complaints and concerns being examined by OIG. The report is expected to be published in 2026.
