The Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee voted unanimously to report and rerefer HB 2156, the nursing facility staffing ratio bill to the House Appropriations Committee due to its fiscal impact on the Medicaid program. Speaking on behalf of the association during the hearing on the bill, VHCA-VCAL lobbyist Scott Johnson expressed members’ commitment to providing quality care to residents and noted that the lack of an available workforce and funding are barriers to implementation.

The association anticipated the bill would be referred to the Appropriations Committee, which will assess the impact on the state budget. VHCA-VCAL will be discussing our concerns with the bill with committee members. The bill includes an enactment clause referencing the Joint Commission on Health Care’s (JCHC) study of the nursing facility workforce, which VHCA-VCAL does support.

Send a message to members of the House Appropriations Health and Human Resources subcommittee: https://p2a.co/YScURK6

HB 2156 would require the Board of Health to develop regulations establishing staffing and care standards in nursing homes to require a minimum number of hours of direct care services to each resident per 24-hour period, which minimum increases in specified phases from 3.5 hours to 4.1 hours. The hourly ratios would take effect on July 1, 2022 and increase incrementally through 2030. The bill also directs the JCHC to study issues related to establishment of a minimum number of hours of direct care services for nursing homes as part of its study of the nursing facility workforce authorized by the Commission on December 15, 2020.