Has regulatory compliance gone too far? - SpecialtyRx
December 14, 2017
Has regulatory compliance gone too far?

Legislators say standards are too high. Advocates claim more regulation is needed.

On which side does your facility stand?

Over the past few weeks, Capitol Hill has been abuzz with healthcare matters as legislators and advocacy groups battle it out over current regulation. It’s no secret that hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes and other providers spend billions of dollars a year satisfying regulatory requirements. Recent revisions made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services increased those standards, putting a greater burden on the tens of thousands of administrators operating across America.

As most of us know, these measures can be critical to patient care but also exceedingly difficult to adopt. Compliance oſten demands more personnel and costly resources that many smaller facilities simply cannot afford. Not to mention, the time spent on documenting said compliance ultimately distracts from our immediate goal, which is delivering quality care and compassionate attention to those under our watch. Substandard Stats 2017 Big benefits

Substandard Stats 2017

Substandard Stats 2017

Meeting in the Middle

Although many agree that regulations are necessary, it’s easy to see why advocates are calling for more stringent compliance. The latest round of countrywide statistics shows widespread deficiency in a number of areas affecting residents’ everyday health and safety. Most complaints centered upon lack of staffing, subpar dementia training, inadequate food selection and infringement upon patient freedoms. In some states, as much as 40% of skilled nursing facilities were deemed ‘substandard.’

Still, many lawmakers seem to understand the stress government places on otherwise satisfactory facilities. Having owned nursing homes himself, politician Jim Renacci says the current measures verge on absurdity: “You have Washington bureaucrats telling nursing home owners how to find a set of lost dentures. The regulations need to be more efficient and flexible. You can’t have someone one thousand miles away dictating how something must be done.”

Renacci’s concerns resonate with many owners who worry that additional CMS changes will cost them even more money heading into 2018. As Congress continues to deliberate, all we can do is push forward, fighting for the rights of residents, staff and owners alike. With quality care our shared mission, industry outlook remains positive.

Have you weighed the pros
and cons of compliance?

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