Legislation to block the federal minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes reached a milestone today, passing in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. The Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 7513) was first introduced by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from finalizing […]
Despite ongoing investments from operators, the nursing home industry is struggling to rebuild its workforce and recover from the pandemic. Meanwhile, operators are concerned that the federal minimum staffing proposal, once finalized, will make operational challenges worse even as nursing homes limit admissions and are concerned about closures. Such findings were outlined in the American […]
Even as the Biden administration strives to crack down on confusing ownership structures in the nursing home industry, it appears there are gaps in federal data collection and limited visibility into ownership. Only one-third of private equity (PE) and fewer than one-fifth of real estate investment trust (REIT) investments in the nursing home space are […]
More than 1,000 nursing home leaders, along with associations like LeadingAge and the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), sent a joint letter to House Ways and Means Committee leaders to reject the federal minimum staffing proposal. The letter, spearheaded by AHCA/NCAL, was sent late Thursday and signed by state […]
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is recommending that the federal government bolster its support to nursing homes – including through policies that help strengthen the workforce – in order to improve quality of care. In its latest report, which draws upon lessons learned during the pandemic, OIG lays forth a set of five […]
Flaws with the Medicaid redetermination process are leading to an increasing number of existing nursing home residents being found ineligible for Medicaid coverage — creating headaches for nursing homes. This view is held by officials at several state health care associations, who spoke to Skilled Nursing News. Montana, for one, has Medicaid redetermination information being […]
The year ahead for Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) presents a “terrific” opportunity for improved margins and potential dealmaking, with eyes on multiple asset classes, according to Sabra CEO Rick Matros. While the California-based real estate investment trust (REIT) has focused in the past couple years on diversifying its portfolio – namely adding behavioral […]
Health care settings, including the nursing home sector, performed worse than expected for about half of the federal government’s quality measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, although key measures such as rehospitalization rates for short-stay residents did surprisingly better, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported Wednesday. Overall, the pandemic had major impacts on […]
States are seeing in real time what a federal minimum staffing mandate may cost them, as a disagreement between Connecticut and its nursing homes has come to a head. The state owes its nursing homes $55 million for staffing requirements imposed between March 2023 and this past January when an enhanced version of the directive […]
Survey backlogs have caused headaches for nursing homes, and Delaware is one state that is using third party contractors to successfully drastically reduce the backlog in a move that is being applauded by nursing home operators. Delaware contracted with Healthcare Management Solutions to help clear its backlog of nursing home and assisted living surveys, doubling […]
It’s becoming harder than ever to operate standalone skilled nursing facilities amid inadequate government funding, and innovative business models that deal with challenges, especially those related to staffing, have and will be borne from necessity. “Innovative models are going to present themselves in some way to stop this train,” said Dan Hermann, president and CEO […]
Nursing home associations in Ohio have sued the state Department of Medicaid last week over a Medicaid rate that does not match what’s needed to meet quality incentives. Ohio’s rebasing process splits Medicaid funding into two categories, with 60% based on meeting certain quality incentives and 40% reserved for the “base rate,” or a calculation […]
National Health Investors Inc. (NYSE: NHI), much like other real estate investment trusts (REITs), is looking at deals across the continuum of skilled nursing and senior housing and looking into different ways to invest, including through joint ventures, executives said. “We’re hopeful that we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg,” said NHI Chief Investment Officer […]
Pricing for nursing home care continued to grow the fastest in the first month of 2024 compared to other major health care categories, jumping by 4.9% in January, as wages grew but job growth lagged. That’s according to Altarum’s Health Sector Economic Indicators (HSEI) Briefs published on Tuesday. Nursing home care was among service prices […]
Mark Parkinson, CEO and president of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), on Tuesday announced plans for retirement after 13 years with the association, and leading its members through the pandemic. Parkinson plans to stay on until Jan. 15 of next year, as the association launches its search for […]
Soaring costs associated with skilled nursing – and problematic payer sources – are making it harder for continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) to provide such labor intensive post-acute care. CCRCs have to ask themselves some hard questions when it comes to what services they can reasonably offer, and if it’s worth it to keep open […]
The volume of non-compliant fines quadrupled in the post-pandemic period between 2020 and 2022, with a staggering 36,370 such fines being issued to nursing homes, costing the industry a total of $560 million nationwide, according to the 2024 Marcum Three-Year Nursing Home Statistical Review. The high cost to the sector from fines was despite the […]
Investors appear to be less interested in the skilled nursing space, while other post-acute care settings like assisted living and independent living are increasingly sought after. Investors looking for SNF deals dropped drastically year-over-year in the last quarter of 2023, according to a seniors housing and care survey released by commercial real estate and investment […]
Rural and small market areas continue to experience growing “nursing home deserts,” an increasing crisis for local officials and beneficiaries facing access issues. In Nebraska, for one, state data shows 29 facilities closed their doors in the past three years, leaving pockets of “nursing home deserts” across 20 counties, according to a report from KETV […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is placing limits on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in denials of claims related to Medicare Advantage plans, and adding more guidance to health care providers on post-acute care admissions. The agency issued an FAQ Tuesday to address concerns related to coverage criteria and utilization […]
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