what is obra

OBRA stands for the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which is a piece of legislation that was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1987. The primary purpose of OBRA was to improve the quality of care in nursing homes by setting forth federal standards of how care should be provided to residents. The mandates of OBRA are regarded in the nursing home setting to represent minimum accepted standards of care. The failure of a nursing home to comply with the OBRA quality of care mandates in caring for a resident represents a failure to exercise the degree of reasonable care and skill that should be expected. OBRA has dramatically improved the quality of care in nursing homes over the last twenty years. In addition to nursing homes, OBRA also has a 457 deferred compensation plan that provides benefits to employees.