On December 3, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule rescinding federal minimum staffing standards in nursing homes. These staffing standards—finalized in May 2024—were estimated to save 13,000 lives annually and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of nursing home residents. The interim final rule is scheduled to go into effect on February 2, 2026, although CMS is still accepting public comments.
For decades, nursing home residents, their families, and nursing home workers have endured the consequences of chronic understaffing. Inadequate staffing increases mortality, worsens health outcomes, and perpetuates unacceptable working conditions. The minimum staffing rule finalized in May 2024 is modest and intended primarily to raise the floor for the most poorly staffed facilities—those where the risk of harm is highest. The rule also acknowledges that some facilities may face hiring challenges and therefore includes generous exemptions.
CMS now claims that because Congress postponed implementation of the rule until 2034 as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the agency must rescind it entirely. This assertion contradicts Congress’s intent. CMS should issue a revised rule that reflects Congress’s delayed implementation timeline. CMS also cites workforce shortages yet ignores the fact that nursing homes would now have ten years to prepare for compliance with this modest standard.
More importantly, CMS overlooks the true underlying cause of staffing challenges: poor job quality. Direct care staff in nursing homes experience an average annual turnover rate of 50%. Facilities are able to hire workers—they cannot retain them because of poor job quality.
We are asking national and state organizations to sign on to this letter voicing strong opposition to CMS’s rescission of the minimum staffing rule. This sign‑on letter is for organizations only. The deadline to sign onto this letter is January 30, 2026. Individuals wishing to submit comments may do so here. To help support commenting, Consumer Voice held a webinar on January 15, 2026. You can go here to view the webinar and here to view the PowerPoint slides.
Please stand with nursing home residents, their families, and nursing home workers and let CMS hear your opposition to the rescission of the minimum staffing standard in nursing homes.
