No funding? No problem. Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board mandates higher wages

The article below is a top story from this week's ACTION newsletter—Care Providers of Minnesota's weekly newsletter for members. The newsletter focuses on current legislative issues, regulations, long-term care trends, and other Association news. Each Thursday evening, it is delivered to your inbox. To sign up for ACTION, contact Lisa Foss Olson (952-851-2483). To learn more about membership, visit our Become a Member page.

No funding? No problem. Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board mandates higher wages

By Todd Bergstrom | May 3, 2024 | SNF/NF providers

Despite the reasoned assertions and realistic suggestions of the employer members of the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board (NHWSB), attendees of the Monday April 29, 2024, meeting witnessed the three union members and three state agency members of the NHWSB vote to adopt new and unfunded minimum wage standards and mandated time and a half for nursing facility employees working on 11-state holidays. The three employer representatives abstained from voting on the proposals.

According to estimates using Long-Term Care Imperative survey data, the proposed standards are estimated to cost Minnesota’s 338 nursing facilities $193 million over four years.

Conversely, the fiscal note prepared by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) estimates the cost to the state to be $9 million.

Here are the “unfunded” minimum wage standards that the NHWSB adopted and instructed state agency staff to draft:

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Please contact Todd Bergstrom at the Association office if you have any questions.

Todd Bergstrom | Director of Research & Data Analysis | tbergstrom@careproviders.org | 952-851-2486

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Care Providers of Minnesota is a non-profit membership association with the mission to Empower Members to Performance Excellence. Our 900+ members across Minnesota represent non-profit and for-profit organizations providing services along the full spectrum of post-acute care and long-term services and support. We are the state affiliate for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, and with our national partners we provide solutions for quality care.

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