PITTSBURGH (Newsradio KDKA) - The Pennsylvania Department of Health proposed new mandates and regulations for all Pennsylvania nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the commonwealth last week.
One of the directives is to raise the staffing minimum.
"This proposal is the definition of an unfunded mandate," said Zach Shamberg, president of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association. "An unfunded mandate is when government creates a new rule or regulation without any way to pay for it."
This comes at a time when the providers are already facing a workforce shortage, as they attempt to re-emerge from the pandemic.
"To propose new higher staffing now, to try and bring in more workers with no way to pay for it, is going to impact negatively long-term care in the third oldest state in the entire country." Shamberg said.
The facilities would have to hire an additional 7,000 direct-care workers to meet the new proposed standard. The costs would add up to more than $300 million a year.
"Again, with no proposed new funding attached," said Shamberg, "this is a simply unrealistic and unattainable proposal."
Listen to the full interview above to learn more.