On September 6, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to address some of the harmful conditions at long-term care facilities and foster greater transparency with how long-term care facilities use their Medicaid funding. Chiefly, the proposed rule would set a minimum staffing standard for direct care workers providing care to residents, including low-paid nursing assistants.
On November 6, 2023, NWLC submitted comments supporting the proposed rule but urging that it be strengthened to better support the low-paid women of color who disproportionally work as nursing assistants. Our comments provide recommendations that would help nursing assistants in their efforts to deliver quality care to older adults and disabled people and encourage long-term care facilities to create better working conditions so that both workers and residents can live sustainably and well. NWLC also joined a sign-on comment coordinated by AFL-CIO, underscoring how older adults and disabled people are better served when direct care jobs are more sustainable.