Image of nurses' hands at computer keyboard

Providers are praising new legislation that increases Medicare rates for operators that deliver better care.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) re-introduced the bill this week after introducing it in the 108th Congress. The Long-Term Care Quality Improvement Act requires separate reporting of expenditures to direct-care staff. It also mandates that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services develop tested methods for linking payment to quality.

Specifically, the bill directs CMS to analyze and report to Congress on issues affecting nursing home costs and funding. Covered topics would include the adequacy of Medicaid financing now and in the future.

“It is time to align financial payment with quality improvement,” said Larry Minnix, president of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.