Federal judge kills Biden administration's pandemic-era nursing home staffing mandate

A federal judge in Texas has tossed a Biden administration policy directing long-term care facilities, including most nursing homes, to change their staffing requirements to include 24-hour licensed nursing services at the facilities.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the final rule in May 2024, citing a need to provide residents with safe and quality care, address insufficient staffing at facilities, and “create a consistent floor to reduce variability in the minimum floor for nurse-to-resident ratios.”