President Donald Trump announced a federal and state initiative exceeding $250 million to recruit and retain nurses at nursing homes, including facilities in rural and understaffed communities.
Trump unveiled the initiative on Monday in a Truth Social post, placing the program under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The President also said the program would offer nurses "up to $50,000 in Grants for working in rural communities or understaffed facilities."
Trump said the fund had been nearly one-third as large before his administration and state governors expanded it.
“Now many more of our Incredible Nurses can be rewarded for helping our Fantastic Seniors. This is a BIG Win for America!” he wrote.
CMS Puts a Number on It: $275 Million
On Friday, CMS detailed the program as a $275 million nationwide Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative expected to support more than 4,000 nurses through up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to eligible nursing homes in rural or high labor-shortage areas.
The program is funded by $100 million from CMS and at least $175 million from states, using civil monetary penalties collected from nursing homes.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the student loan repayment initiative would provide financial relief to nurses and nursing students while supporting families seeking quality nursing home care. He said the program would empower the next generation of nurses "without taking a dime from taxpayers."
Trump Defends Private Coverage as Democrats Push LTC Reform
The staffing announcement comes as Trump continues discussing the broader U.S. health care system and competing approaches to coverage. The President said, "we have the best health care plans in the world," as he defended private employer-sponsored health insurance, saying friends with plans from large companies and insurers were satisfied with their coverage. “Now that doesn’t cover everybody, but it covers a lot of people,” he added.
He criticized Medicare for All, calling it expensive and saying it had "never worked." He also claimed patients with cancer in countries with such healthcare systems could wait up to nine months for treatment.
Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), released a blueprint for overhauling the U.S. long-term care system earlier this month, including home care and nursing homes, ahead of the midterm elections, The Hill reported. Their proposal prioritizes universal long-term care coverage (LTC) for Americans of all ages, disabilities and medical needs, citing feedback from 95 listening sessions and calling for a comprehensive investment in care infrastructure and financing.
