Missouri joins multistate lawsuit over nursing home staffing rule

Missouri has joined several other states in suing the Biden Administration over a new rule mandating minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes. 

The rule requires each nursing home in the United States to have a registered nurse on duty 24/7, requires each patient to receive at least 33 minutes of care each day from a registered nurse, and requires each patient to receive nearly 2-and-a-half hours of care per day from a nurse’s aide. 

Missouri and 19 other states argue that most nursing homes are too understaffed to meet those requirements and that the new rule will drive thousands of nursing homes out of business. 

The lawsuit also claims that the Biden Administration does not have the authority to impose the rule. 

In a statement, the White House cited studies that say higher staffing “is associated with better quality of patient care.” 

The suit will be heard in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.