H.R. 7096 — Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act

This section revises Medicare and Medicaid criteria prohibiting state approval of nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs (NATCEPs) proposed by skilled nursing facilities or nursing facilities subject to certain enforcement actions. For both programs, it (1) replaces the cross-reference to "subparagraphs (C) and (D)" with "subparagraph (C)"; (2) revises the civil money penalty condition to apply if the penalty under specified provisions is not less than $12,924 for a quality-of-care deficiency; (3) adds a new condition prohibiting approval if the facility has been subject to remedies such as denial of payment for new admissions, appointment of a temporary manager, or termination; and (4) strikes subparagraph (D). (As background, NATCEPs ensure nurse aides in Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities receive standardized training; these changes modify the enforcement triggers barring substandard facilities from sponsoring such programs.)