CMS Launches $275 Million Nurses for Nursing Homes Initiative, Offering Up to $40,000 in Loan Repayment
Washington — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on October 23 a new $275 million nationwide initiative, Nurses for Nursing Homes, to recruit and retain nurses in nursing homes. The initiative is expected to support more than 4,000 nurses and nursing students nationwide, including those serving rural communities.
Under the initiative, nursing students and licensed nurses may qualify for up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to serve in a qualifying nursing home in a rural or higher labor-shortage area. It is funded through civil monetary penalties collected by CMS and states from nursing homes: CMS has committed $100 million, with states committing at least an additional $175 million.
"President Trump is strengthening the nursing workforce that millions of older Americans rely on every day," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "This initiative will recruit and retain thousands of nurses, expand care in rural and high-need communities, and create new pathways into long-term care careers." CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said: "Without taking a dime from taxpayers, CMS is empowering the next generation of nurses to pursue their dreams and helping residents form deep bonds with caregivers so they can live happier, healthier lives."
To receive payments, accepted nurses must hold an active RN or LPN/LVN license when they begin employment, work at least 30 hours per week at a qualifying nursing home, and have eligible student loan debt — or, for those without student loan debt, have graduated within the past two years to qualify for a stipend. Applicants must not have worked in a nursing home for at least 60 days before opening an application account, with an exception during the initiative's first 90 days (October 26, 2026, to January 24, 2027) for nurses who began working in an eligible nursing home between July 28 and October 25, 2026. They must commit to three years of service at an eligible Medicare-, Medicaid-, or dually certified long-term care facility.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia are participating, CMS said; 100% of rural nursing facilities are eligible, along with additional facilities in higher labor-shortage areas. CMS said it is working with workforce partners who will work with nursing homes and nursing schools across the country to recruit eligible nurses and build a pipeline into long-term care. Interested nurses and students can review eligibility, open an account, and find open positions through the Nurses for Nursing Homes website at CMS.
CMS said staffing is a critical component of nursing home quality and is incorporated into the agency's Five Star Quality Rating System, and that the new initiative is designed to strengthen the long-term care workforce.
Source: GSM, United States
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国卫生与公众服务部（HHS）位于华盛顿的总部大楼入口，CMS 为该部下属机构。照片：G. Edward Johnson，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Entrance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C.; CMS is an agency within HHS. Photo: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
