Table 4.
Marginal Effects of Staffing Regressions Evaluated at Different Minimum Direct Care Staff Ratios
| Total Nursing Staff HPRD | % RN to Total Staff | % RN/LPN to Total Staff | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effect by Reliance on Medicaid | Effect by Reliance on Medicaid | Effect by Reliance on Medicaid | ||||||||||
| Staffing Level Marginal Effects | Overall Effect | Low | High | Difference | Overall Effect | Low | High | Difference | Overall Effect | Low | High | Difference |
| Staff ratio = 2 | 0.181*** | 0.109*** | 0.240*** | 0.131*** | 0.342** | 0.011 | 0.608*** | 0.597** | −0.325 | −0.524** | −0.171 | 0.353*** |
| Staff ratio = 2.5 | 0.383*** | 0.253*** | 0.491*** | 0.239*** | 0.770*** | 0.212 | 1.236*** | 1.024*** | −0.328 | −0.626** | −0.078 | 0.548*** |
| Staff ratio = 3 | 0.630*** | 0.428*** | 0.798*** | 0.370*** | 1.293*** | 0.457* | 2.002*** | 1.545*** | −0.331 | −0.750** | 0.036 | 0.786*** |
Notes. The sample size is 87,293 OSCAR surveys for 17,250 facilities between 1998 and 2004. All regressions are estimated using linear panel regression with facility fixed effects, state-specific linear time trends, and also control for the following: ownership status, number of beds, member of multifacility chain, payer mix, occupancy rate, case mix, presence of special care units, changes in licensed staff requirements, real average state Medicaid reimbursement, and real weekly nursing home wages. Standard errors are adjusted for the heteroskedasticity. The marginal effect is change in the dependent variable for a one unit change in the minimum staffing ratio evaluated at the ratio reported in each row. Low (high) reliance on Medicaid is defined as below (above) the median percentage of residents on Medicaid in the sample (67.81%).
p<.01
p<.05
p<.1.
HPRD, hours per resident day.