CMS is urging states to tie nursing home Medicaid payments to quality measures that will improve the safety and quality of care.
The agency issued an informational bulletin Aug. 22 detailing actions states can take using existing Medicaid authorities to "drive better health outcomes for nursing home residents and improve staff pay, training and retention efforts," according to a CMS news release. The bulletin also highlights examples of current state Medicaid initiatives.
"We know that low wages for staff can contribute to frequent turnover and dangerous staffing shortages at nursing homes, so we encourage states to work with these facilities to find solutions for training and improving staffing," CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure said in the news release.
States can implement several of the initiatives immediately through the Medicaid state plan, waiver, or demonstration process, she said.
Read the full informational bulletin here.