Palm Health Partners’ Paul Walczak on Wednesday was pardoned by President Donald Trump, weeks after Walczak’s mother Elizabeth Fago attended a $1 million-per-person fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. The Florida-based nursing home executive failed to pay more than $10 million in taxes, instead using the withheld taxes to enrich himself, according to an April statement from the […]
The nursing home sector is undergoing a significant transformation in real time, driven by a recognition that the traditional, reactive model is no longer sustainable. Changes in occupancy patterns, increasing patient acuity, evolving workforce dynamics, and shifting payment structures are all contributing to this redefinition, according to Austin Steele, chief strategy officer for Indiana-based operator […]
Legislation to streamline and improve outdated prior authorization processes for Medicare Advantage (MA) was reintroduced this week. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act would require MA plans to adopt an electronic prior auth system with standardized transactions, and improve transparency around MA prior auth use and requirements. It’s the third time this legislation […]
The UnitedHealth Group (Nasdaq: UNH) allegedly paid bonuses to nursing homes in order to reduce hospital transfers of residents under its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, according to an investigation conducted by The Guardian. The investigation revealed these cost-cutting practices saved the company millions, but endangered patient health; this included delayed or denied emergency hospital care. […]
Easily preventable and overlooked compliance issues in nursing homes often start in the kitchen and resident rooms, but there is another surprising source: Amazon deliveries. All the while, the category of infection prevention and control continues to lead in number of citations. and surveyors often see multiple failure points when it comes to person-centered care, too, […]
Greystone provided $40.5 million in bridge financing to Kalesta Healthcare Group for the acquisition of two nursing homes in California. Meanwhile, Dwight Capital and its real estate investment trust affiliate closed on $521 million in financing for Q1. Greystone Provides $40.5M in Bridge Financing for CA Portfolio Commercial real estate finance company Greystone provided $40.5 […]
Some state legislatures are taking a closer look at the sustainability of long-term care, with their eye on a rapidly aging population and an increased need for such services in the coming years. In Pennsylvania, nursing home associations testified on reimbursement during a legislative hearing this spring as the state discussed its 2025-26 budget. Pennsylvania’s […]
Creative Solutions in Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest nursing home operators, has created a new position to explore operational innovation and technology-driven care while reducing administrative burdens among frontline staff. Chelsea Jordan has been named vice president of data integration and payroll, a position that will include traditional payroll oversight while also supporting efforts […]
There’s still ambiguity in how surveyors will interpret new elements of survey changes, but tightening up documentation to best reflect a resident’s condition and care plan goals will be key for nursing homes adjusting to these. According to operators who’ve begun implementing these changes, the new survey effective April 28 aims to improve assessment accuracy, […]
The current nursing home market has its share of positives and negatives midway through 2025, with operators enjoying Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement increases as well as a decline in facility supply, creating higher competition among buyers. Buyers are being more aggressive in the acquisition process, he said, with fewer facilities available. Brokerage firms are seeing […]
Leadership changes within insurance giant UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UHG) and its subsidiary Optum have rattled the company from the inside out, with UHG CEO Andrew Witty abruptly resigning on Tuesday, replaced with Chairman Stephen Hemsley who was CEO for UnitedHealth prior to stepping down in 2017. The news comes on the heels of new leadership […]
Legislators in Minnesota are debating deep cuts to the state’s human services budget, largely impacting nursing homes, to make up for a $6 billion budget deficit. The state’s House and Senate have until May 19 to agree on final cuts. The Senate’s version of the budget has $47 million in nursing home payment system changes, […]
A nursing home regulatory model focused on real-time collaboration between state, federal and provider leaders is crucial, considering existing outdated and punitive regulatory practices seen in some states. In Texas, for example, there’s a disproportionate issuance of immediate jeopardy (IJ) citations and associated financial penalties, which discourage investment in the industry while demoralizing staff, Focused […]
An unnamed tenant has decided not to renew its lease with real estate investment trust (REIT) LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) for seven skilled nursing facilities that are currently part of LTC’s assets. LTC leaders said they are continuing with the sale process for the properties, and remain committed to replacing at least $8.3 million in […]
High-level citations could be on the rise since new requirements for transfers and discharges went into effect on April 28. Immediate jeopardy (IJ) citations, for instance, that are dreaded by nursing home operators and are often the result of the many benign and avoidable ways facility staff can misunderstand the citation, can increase with the […]
Deals in the U.K. continued to be a large driver of investment activity in 2025 for Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), with a $344 million April investment of a 45-care home portfolio in the U.K. and Jersey, closing after the first financial quarter’s end. Care homes in the U.K. are essentially nursing homes, but can […]
Cost-cutting measures in nursing homes, particularly food budgets, have been a concerning underlying issue in the industry, with more than a quarter of facilities in the country spending under $10 per day on food per resident. An investigative report by NJ Advance Media, in collaboration with Rutgers University and data experts at SNFdata Resources of […]
Welltower Inc.’s (NYSE: WELL) $1.2 billion in skilled nursing investments in the first financial quarter served as a “credit business,” executives of the real estate investment trust (REIT) said Tuesday while discussing details of its investment in Aspire Healthcare. Welltower Co-President and Chief Investment Officer Nikhil Chaudhri described skilled nursing as a credit business, in […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has yet to address a recommendation made by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to identify additional enforcement actions for VA nursing homes, and to ensure such facilities comply with quality standards. The recommendation was made as part of a November 2022 report to help the VA oversee these […]
Tackling rising acuity for Majestic Care goes beyond beefing up clinical teams amid a shortage of specialized roles. The Indiana-based provider has been responding to sicker patients in the nursing home space across local and regional settings, fine-tuning the provision of specialty services based on geography. High levels of support for clinical teams from the […]
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