Members of the Congressional Seniors Task Force, led by Congresswomen Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, urging CMS to fully implement the provision of the Affordable Care Act which requires nursing home staffing information be obtained through a payroll data collection system. Currently, staffing information is self-reported annually, creating instances where consumers have inaccurate or misleading information when deciding which nursing homes to place their loved ones in.
"Our seniors and their loved ones deserve access to reliable and accurate information when making choices about nursing home placement. Research has shown that nursing home staffing levels is related to quality of care, and can be an important factor in these decisions. CMS should expeditiously implement the provision of the Affordable Care Act that would allow seniors access to this information," said Congresswoman Doris Matsui.
"I authored the provision in the Affordable Care Act that requires nursing home staffing information be based on actual payroll data -- ensuring that the information is accurate. People who need nursing home care for themselves or their loved ones are looking at staffing levels to see whether the services they need will be there. They deserve to have reliable data and it is time that CMS acts to meet the requirements of the law," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.