Lifts the current automatic ban on nurse aide training programs in nursing homes that have been cited for substandard care, and replaces it with a more targeted process. The Health and Human Services Secretary, working with the state, would disapprove a facility's nurse aide training and competency program for up to two years only after a civil monetary penalty of at least $10,697 is assessed for substandard care AND the facility has not corrected the underlying deficiencies. Facilities can have the disapproval rescinded by fixing deficiencies and going two years without direct-harm citations. The bill also lets Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers query the National Practitioner Data Bank when running background checks on potential employees.
Transparency & Accountability
- Nursing home access to National Practitioner Data Bank — Expanded for employee background checks
- Automatic training program ban for cited nursing homes — Replaced with discretionary 2-year disapproval
Congressional Summary
Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act This bill 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 specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission. The bill also allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-04-30
- Date Added
- 2026-05-22
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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