2005 House Bill 4173

Mandate higher staffing at nursing homes

Introduced in the House

Feb. 2, 2005

Introduced by Rep. Gabe Leland (D-10)

To require nursing homes to increase their staff-to-patient ratio to provide at least three hours of direct care per patient per day (instead of 2.25 hours under current law). The bill directs the Department of Community Heath to increase the Medicaid reimbursement of nursing homes that comply, and suspends enforcement of the new ratio requirements until the department has the funds to pay the higher reimbursement amountunemployment tax rates.

Referred to the Committee on Senior Health, Security, and Retirement