Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, announced on the social media platform X that CMS is proceeding with the previously announced nursing home staffing campaign. In his announcement, he encouraged all governors to partner with CMS and expand the campaign in their states. This call to action was included within a letter that was sent to each governor. The CMS Nursing Home Staffing Campaign website has also been updated, with the new announcement by Dr. Oz. Earlier this year, CMS released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for cooperative agreements with entities. The NOFO noted, these applicants will administer any financial incentives, such as tuition reimbursement and stipends, to Registered Nurses (RNs) who will work for three years in a qualifying nursing home or in an oversight role with a state agency. However, no additional information has been provided since the first quarter of the year on the NOFO or selected financial incentive administrators (FIAs). The CMS website currently states that CMS intends to select FIAs in spring 2026.
AHCA continues to advocate for tuition reimbursement and stipends to be made available to Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), in addition to RNs. Further, AHCA continues to advocate for all nursing homes to be considered eligible so their applicable nurses can qualify to receive tuition reimbursement and stipends.