South Dakota joined other states challenging a nursing home federal staffing minimum, saying the overseeing agency overstepped its authority. (Getty Images)
A lawsuit filed Tuesday by 20 states, including South Dakota, challenges a federal rule mandating higher staffing levels in nursing homes and alleges that facilities will be forced to close.
The states are led by Republican attorneys general, including South Dakota’s Marty Jackley.
“Rural states like South Dakota are already faced with challenges to meet staffing needs for aging residents,” Jackley said in a news release. “These are unnecessary federal mandates that add to the problem, not fix it.”
Affiliate organizations also joined the lawsuit, including the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations.
Health care officials call federal ‘unfunded mandate’ for nursing homes a ‘threat’
The named defendants include leaders within the federal Health and Human Services agency as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.