Providers ask legislature for $6.52 million to shore up basic care rates and inflation adjustments

Nikki Wagner, president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, told the House Appropriations Human Resources Division that nursing homes and basic care providers in the state are facing rising costs driven by inflation, higher resident acuity and workforce shortages and asked legislators to adopt three funding changes to stabilize basic care.

Wagner said nursing facilities provide “around-the-clock skilled care” and face higher regulatory and infrastructure costs than community-based services, and that North Dakota nursing facilities serve a higher share of residents with dementia and psychiatric disorders than the national average. She said the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ requirement that skilled facilities provide 24/7 registered nurse coverage will take effect in 2026 and that labor costs remain the “real…