of covid in U.S. nursing homes as of Jan. 22, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services., CMS Deputy Administrator Daniel Tsai encouraged states to use Medicaid money to improve training and staffing at nursing homes. The federal agency is also reviewing mandatory staffing levels.
Democratic lawmakers, many with ties to labor, suggested the administration consider rewarding facilities that unionize or pay a prevailing wage. The inclusion of those incentives in the bill was a win for labor, since only 20% of California nursing home workers belong to a union. “This is not going to move the needle fundamentally as long as the state continues to disinvest so badly into nursing homes,” said Craig Cornett, CEO of the