Bill > S2993

This bill, the Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act, proposes several changes to the Social Security Act regarding nursing facility requirements. The key provisions are: 1. It repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to penalties for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can still disapprove such programs for up to two years, but must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight. 2. It allows Medicaid and Medicare providers, such as skilled nursing facilities, to access disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners through the National Practitioner Data Bank, as reported by state licensing authorities. The bill aims to ensure seniors' access to quality care by addressing restrictions on nursing facility training programs and improving the ability of providers to conduct background checks on affiliated healthcare practitioners.