HR 1303119th CongressIn Committee

Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act

Introduced: Feb 13, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would block the federal government from implementing or enforcing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) May 10, 2024 final rule that established minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities and required Medicaid institutional payment transparency reporting. In effect, if enacted, HHS would not implement that rule or any regulation that is substantially similar. The minimum-staffing requirement and Medicaid payment transparency reporting would therefore not take effect at the federal level, preserving the status quo with respect to federal involvement in these areas. The bill’s aim, as suggested by its title, is to protect seniors’ access to care by limiting new federal mandates on staffing and price/payment transparency in long-term care settings.

Key Points

1Prohibition on implementing or enforcing CMS rule: Beginning on enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not implement, administer, or enforce the CMS final rule titled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting” (May 10, 2024) or any regulation substantially similar to it.
2Scope of the prohibition: The ban covers the specific staffing standards and the related Medicaid payment transparency reporting, as described in the final rule, and extends to regulations that are substantially similar in content.
3Legislative status and process: The bill is introduced in the House (H.R. 1303) and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It represents an early step in the legislative process and would need passage in both chambers and signature by the President to become law.
4Title and purpose: The act is named the “Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act,” signaling an intent to limit federal regulatory actions that could affect how care is staffed and how Medicaid payments are reported in long-term care facilities.
5No funding or enforcement provisions: The text focuses on prohibition of the rule and does not establish funding, penalties, or alternative requirements, leaving room for other regulatory actions outside the prohibited rule.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- Residents of long-term care facilities (seniors) and their families, who may be affected by staffing levels and transparency about Medicaid payments.- Long-term care facilities and operators, which would not be subject to federal minimum staffing mandates or Medicaid payment transparency reporting as described in the blocked rule.Secondary group/area affected:- The Medicaid program and state Medicaid agencies, since the rule in question relates to how Medicaid payments are reported and how facilities are staffed; the prohibition could affect federal reporting requirements and the program’s regulatory framework.Additional impacts:- Federal regulatory landscape: The bill would maintain the status quo at the federal level regarding staffing requirements and payment transparency, potentially shifting influence toward state policies or private market/quality initiatives.- Patient safety and quality of care considerations: Critics of this approach may argue that removing federal staffing standards could affect care quality and staffing adequacy; supporters may argue it reduces regulatory burden and costs on facilities.- Transparency and data availability: By blocking the transparency reporting element of the rule, there could be less publicly available information about Medicaid payments to facilities, which might affect researchers, policymakers, and families seeking insight into billing practices.This is an introduced House bill and does not yet become law. It would need to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by the President.The bill specifically targets the May 10, 2024 CMS rule and any substantially similar regulation, focusing on federal action in this domain rather than broader health policy changes.

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