CMS proposes dropping new maternity training rules and easing nursing home room standards
The plan, open for comment, would undo obstetric requirements CMS adopted in 2024 and relax some nursing home, COVID-19 and reporting rules.
What it means for you
- Nothing changes yet. CMS issued the proposal on November 5 and takes comments for 60 days after publication, scheduled for November 10.
- Hospitals would no longer have to train staff on maternal care or run obstetric-specific quality programs, requirements CMS adopted in 2024 that start January 1, 2027.
- CMS said in 2024 the safety benefit outweighed the burden. It now says accreditation and voluntary training are enough, and that costs could lead hospitals to cut maternity services.
- Existing nursing homes that change owners or reopen after a lapse would not have to meet the two-per-room and in-room toilet and sink standards.
- CMS estimates providers would save about $320 million a year.