U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., has introduced the Travel Nursing Agency Transparency Study Act, which would require the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress the business practices of healthcare staffing agencies during the pandemic.
Compensation for travel nurses drastically increased during the pandemic as hospitals battled a major workforce shortage. In 2019, travel nurses accounted for a median of 4.7 percent of hospitals' total nurse labor expenses, compared to a median of 38.6 percent in January, an April American Hospital Association report found.
Hiring agencies have been inflating prices and monopolizing the nursing workforce, which have led to higher prices for care, a worse nursing shortage and a strain on the healthcare system, a June 6 news release from the senator stated.
"When health care providers pay travel nurse agencies, both the providers and the contracted nurses should know how much the agencies keep for themselves," Mr. Cramer said in the news release. "The Travel Nursing Agency Transparency Study Act ensures the business practices of these agencies get the critical sunshine they need. The American people and the entire healthcare industry deserve a better understanding."