New Law Affects Senior Care Staffing Agencies in Pennsylvania

New Law Affects Senior Care Staffing Agencies in Pennsylvania

New Law Affects Senior Care Staffing Agencies in Pennsylvania

Throughout the past several years, an increasing number of long-term care providers have turned to staffing agencies to meet their staffing needs. While these senior care staffing agencies have been largely unregulated in past years, some states are taking a stand to improve oversight and transparency. In fact, Pennsylvania recently passed House Bill 2293, which will impose new regulations on temporary staffing agencies that offer senior care services in the state.

Read on to learn more about how this new law could affect you as a senior care employer or employee.

How House Bill 2293 Affects Nursing Agencies in PA

House Bill 2293, which was approved by Governor Tom Wolf on November 3rd, 2022, aims to hold staffing agencies accountable when they place employees in nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the state.

Registration

Temporary staffing agencies are now required to register with the state’s department of health annually. Registration will include the name and address of the agency’s owner(s), as well as the agency’s policies and procedures regarding immediate access to its records upon request by the department. An annual fee of no less than $500 must be paid by each staffing agency to cover administration fees resulting from this new law.

Unless the agency is sold or ownership is transferred, the registration will remain effective for one year from the date of its issuance.

Conditions and Requirements

As a result of House Bill 2293 taking effect, staffing agencies are now required to undergo rigorous background checks, as well as provide proof of competency and insurance coverage before sending personnel into any facility.

Here is a breakdown of the new requirements:

1. The agency is required to provide the healthcare facility with documentation ensuring that all temporary employees meet licensing and certification requirements, as well as any training or continued education needed for the position.
2. The agency must ensure that all temporary employees are compliant with the requirements relating to the health of personnel as specified by the healthcare facility.
3. Agencies and healthcare facilities are now prohibited from restricting employment opportunities of healthcare personnel through non-compete clauses or otherwise.
4. Agencies are now required to carry medical malpractice insurance of no less than $500,000 to cover any damages resulting from their staffing services.
5. Agencies must carry a dishonesty bond of $10,000 for each employee.
6. Agencies are required to maintain insurance coverage for workers’ compensation for all employees that they have placed in a healthcare facility.
7. Agencies must comply with all Pennsylvania employer withholding requirements.
8. Agencies must ensure that all records are retained and available for immediate access for 10 years.
9. Agencies must complete criminal background checks and provide healthcare facilities with proof for each temporary employee placed through the agency.

Agencies that were already in operation prior to this bill taking effect on November 3, have 180 days to register and comply with the new requirements. Agencies that commence operations after the effective date are given 90 days to comply.

NurseDash Can Help Today 

Although House Bill 2293 will benefit the facilities, healthcare employees, and their residents, it could pose challenges for some staffing agencies. This could ultimately affect staffing levels, staffing costs, and access to staffing services. In fact, some agencies may further increase costs as a result of this new law.

NurseDash is here to provide quality staffing solutions to healthcare facilities at a fair price. We are a healthcare marketplace designed to meet staffing needs by connecting highly qualified clinicians with facilities that have open shifts resulting from job vacancies, sickness, vacations, and more.

Not only will facilities receive a large database of nursing staff, each clinician is carefully vetted and screened to ensure a high quality of care. This includes background screenings and monitoring of their license and credentials—a service that not all traditional staffing agencies have done in the past.

But you won’t have to worry about paying extra for this service. NurseDash removes the middleman, allowing facilities to communicate directly with available nurses and caregivers. This provides savings for both the facilities and the clinicians, while also providing a higher level of staffing flexibility and coverage.

Sign up today to start using NurseDash’s staffing solutions. We can help you save time and money while meeting the staffing needs of your facility.