The pressure to shift more care from skilled nursing facilities to the home setting has led to rapid increases in the cost of home health services, according to the latest entry in a long-running measure of senior care costs. The median annual cost of a home health aide in 2019 rose 4.55% from the year […]
The long-running Skyline Healthcare saga came to a close in Kansas last week after Mission Health Communities formally took control of 15 properties that it had operated throughout a more than 18-month receivership process. The Tampa, Fla.-based Mission officially became the new operators last Friday, according to an announcement from the Kansas Department for Aging […]
Less than a week after the federal government proposed a new warning symbol for nursing homes with a history of abuse, a leading trade group has asked for a less severe icon. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) late last week called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ditch its red, […]
The median operating margin at the nation’s skilled nursing facilities sank underwater for the first time in 34 years, according to one long-running analysis, with the lowest quartile of properties sitting at -6.5%. After hovering at about 0 in 2017, the median figure dipped to -0.1% in 2018, consulting firm CLA announced in its 34th […]
More than two years after announcing a plan to exit the skilled nursing space, former industry giant Kindred Healthcare has sold off the final remaining standalone SNF in its portfolio. The Louisville, Ky.-based operator sold Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation — Spring Valley, a 160-bed property in Las Vegas, to Capital Senior Ventures on October […]
BM Eagle Holdings has emerged as a major owner of skilled nursing assets in the United States, picking off a pair of sizable portfolio deals in the last two years — with a specific focus on finding the right operator in the right market. “In our business, what we’re looking for is investing in assets […]
The first week of the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes has brought stories of rapidly shifting therapy patterns among some providers, and voices from the consulting and advocacy worlds are warning that any sudden movements could cause adverse effects — both immediately and down the road. The advent of the Patient-Driven Payment Model […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday announced a plan to begin displaying a warning icon for nursing homes with abuse citations on its flagship consumer-facing website. Starting October 23, visitors to Nursing Home Compare will see a red circle with an open palm on the pages for facilities that have received […]
Three more nursing homes with overlapping ownership have fallen into state receivership in Arkansas, bringing the total count to five. The state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) moved to appoint a third-party receiver to take over Lexington Place Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Jonesboro, Prescott Manor Nursing Center in Prescott, and Lincoln Heights Healthcare in Star […]
The new Medicare payment model for nursing homes took effect this week with a bang, as therapists across the nation criticized a wave of staffing reductions in the immediate wake of the October 1 start date. Several companies implemented workforce cuts as the federal government shifted to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which moves incentives […]
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order asking top federal officials to explore a wide variety of Medicare Advantage expansion efforts, including a call to more closely align the rates paid by MA plans and traditional fee-for-service Medicare. Among the order’s provisions is a request for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary […]
Just one day after the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes took effect, providers throughout the industry have begun showing signs of changing therapy strategies — and one of the nation’s top operators confirmed the layoff of about 585 rehab employees. A spokesperson for Genesis HealthCare (NYSE: GEN) confirmed to SNN that the company […]
Seven of eight former Dycora Transitional Health and Living skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin have emerged from receivership under the operation of Bedrock Healthcare LLC. The Beaver Dam Daily Citizen of Beaver Dam, Wisc. initially reported the news on Wednesday. The properties initially entered receivership back in April at the request of landlord Golden Living […]
The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) on Tuesday announced the successful completion of a plan to spin off all of its non-skilled nursing business lines into a separate company, The Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG). The San Juan Capistrano, Calif.-based post-acute company’s board approved the plan at the end of August, nearly four months after it was […]
Skilled nursing providers looking for a simple answer to how managed care plans will react to the new Medicare payment model will likely have to face an inconvenient truth: It’s complicated. Private Medicare Advantage insurers didn’t have to follow the old Resource Utilization Group (RUG) model when deciding how to reimburse for skilled nursing services, […]
The long wait is over: The new Medicare payment system for nursing homes has arrived. October 1 marks the official start of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), just about 18 months after the federal government first announced the change in April 2018. Since then, the skilled nursing industry has trained a laser focus on preparations […]
The Department of Justice will soon embark on a plan to pursue criminal charges in False Claims Act cases involving nursing homes, Bloomberg Law reported Monday, as the federal government attempts to crack down on bad actors in the space. “We need to go after cases civilly because they a [sic] providing grossly substandard care […]
A mobile diagnostics company this week reached an $8.5 million settlement with the federal government to resolve allegations that it engaged in a kickback scheme with some of its skilled nursing partners. The Department of Justice accused Trident USA Health Services LLC of orchestrating “swapping” arrangements with SNFs, offering its X-ray and other diagnostic services […]
A new proposed rule that would expand Medicare coverage of dialysis services has already generated interest among skilled nursing operators, and multiple voices have called on officials to further cement the SNF connection. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July rolled out the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices (ETC) model, a […]
While they don’t yet represent a direct threat to traditional skilled nursing providers, several marquee retail brands have made significant bets on the senior care space as the population ages — with a specific focus on keeping seniors healthy and out of institutional settings. Electronics retailer Best Buy’s (NYSE: BBY) recent moves into the senior […]