The Biden administration is proposing a new minimum staffing standard for American nursing homes, and the move is receiving mixed feedback. Those in favor argue that it will help to increase the quality of care in these facilities, while those who oppose the newly proposed standard argue that it could lead to nursing home closures and other unintended consequences. Among its stipulations, the proposed rule would require nursing home facilities to have a registered nurse (RN) on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Current federal law mandates that nursing homes have an RN on duty for eight…

The Biden administration is going after what it calls “junk insurance” as part of its plan to lower health care costs for American consumers. In July the Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor departments issued proposed rules that would limit short-term health plans to three months, with an option to be renewed for only one month. Initially created during the Obama administration, the short-term health plans were meant to be used during transition periods, such as times when people are between jobs, and were limited to 90-day periods. Under the Trump administration in 2018, the 90-day limit was expanded…