Connecticut Legislature is proposing an increase to mandatory state nursing home staffing levels. Long-term care provider organizations can balend not only the associated prices but also the additional burdens that could put in sectors that are already struggling with widespread shortages of staff.
By July 1, 2026, lawmakers hope to increase staffing times for minimum nursing homes from 3 to 3.6 hours per day per resident.
Such a mission could cost $24 million, but the actual state costs to staff at that level will “depend on the number and level of staff required and how it will be incorporated into Medicaid payments to nursing homes.
Many lawmakers, providers and provider organizations are not participating in the proposal.
“It'll be very difficult to pass this year. Unfortunately… at this point we don't have the (IT) room,” Sen. Jan Hochadel, co-chair of the Aging Committee, told CT Mirror.
Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Healthcare Facilities Association, found SB 1279 to be too harsh.
“As a matter of public health policy, determining these detailed care percentages undermines the quality of care by eliminating the flexibility of licensed nursing home professionals assigning staff to the percentages they have decided to meet the care needs of the resident population under current law.”
More agency nursing, closure was feared
Barrett also warned that due to the ongoing lack of staffing, nursing homes are inevitably relying on temporary nursing staff agencies to avoid following new, highly normative standards. Recent studies have linked institutional nurse use to higher costs, lower quality ratings for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 5-star systems, and increased risk of pressure damage.
Last month, the Aging Committee voted in favour of the bill and moved it to the Senate floor, Barrett confirmed Tuesday. He noted that it remains pending along with other bills with financial implications that led to the final adoption of the state budget for 2026 and 2027.
Nursing homes may be on hook for additional costs, which could further promote the recent phenomenon. This is a pile of facility closures that could cause a care crisis.
In December, a coalition of community leaders met to challenge the possibility of closure of several nursing homes just months after Waterbury's 200-bed Abbott Terrace was closed.
With Connecticut having the seventh oldest population in the country, and the state's nursing homes are virtually full, the occupancy rate is around 87% and the national average is 79%.
Another challenge for providers is that nearly 6,000 direct care staff are dealing with expired contracts, CT Mirror reported.
The contract was the result of a contract between the Governor of Connecticut and the Healthcare Workers Union 1199 New England, signed in 2021. The contract expired on March 15th.
Now, the union is turning its eyes to the governor and the legislature to put more money into Medicaid fees. This may not be possible if the SB 1279 passes.
