Six members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation signed on to a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) calling on the agency to revise and delay costly requirements for nursing centers. AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Government Relations Clif Porter notes that the number of bipartisan signatories signals that the issue of over regulation in nursing centers has broad impacts across the country and that change is needed.

Virginia’s signatories include:

• Rob Wittman (R-1^st)
• Tom Garrett (R-5^th)
• Bob Goodlatte (R-6^th)
• Dave Brat (R-7^th)
• Morgan Griffith (R-9^th)
• Barbara Comstock (R-10^th)

In total, 122 members of the House of Representatives signed the letter.  A parallel effort is underway to secure U.S. Senators’ support for a letter to CMS.

Both letters request that CMS revise the “requirements of participation” for nursing centers. Made final in October 2016 and implemented the following November, the rule has considerable provisions that begin in November 2017 and represent a large burden to providers.

CMS estimates the unfunded mandate will cost an average provider in excess of $50,000 annually to implement. The House and Senate letters request CMS delay some of the more costly provisions to allow providers to better cope with the burden.

AHCA will continue to urge Senators to sign onto the letter. A booth will be set up at the annual convention to allow members to contact their Senators regarding the effort.