MedPAC: SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program Should ‘Be Eliminated and Replaced As Soon as Possible’

The value-based purchasing (VBP) program for skilled nursing facilities was implemented in 2018 as part of the 2014 Protecting Access to Medicare Act – and three years later, the program is showing “fundamental design flaws” so significant that eliminating and replacing it is the only option. That’s according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) […]

Nursing Homes Post-COVID Must Prove Themselves to Hospitals Through Communication, Clinical Ability

For AdventHealth, COVID-19 didn’t remake its relationships with skilled nursing facilities as much as it intensified all the factors the Florida-based health system considered important. And as hospital patient volumes start to rise back to their pre-pandemic levels, SNFs need to know what hospitals are looking for and what matters to them. With hospital referrals […]

Private Equity Surge in Health Care Highlights Shortcomings of CMS Ownership Reporting

Many Medicare providers have business structures that are complex, obscuring ownership and control, according to a new report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). That’s a problem because the federal government’s process of enrolling or contracting with them has not caught up. In its June report to Congress, the commission examined the role of […]

PruittHealth CEO: Nursing Homes Must Go Beyond ‘Cost-Effective Model of Care’

Nursing home operators have lamented for years how difficult it is to address infrastructure problems in their facilities. In some locations and under some circumstances, they’ve been able to make changes over time. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, means that such changes are not optional if operators want to survive – and they cannot be incremental. […]

Fitch Affirms ProMedica’s ‘BBB-‘ Rating, Citing Senior Care As Asset

Fitch Ratings affirmed its “BBB-” rating for ProMedica Health System with a stable outlook, citing the health system’s “diversified business model with exposure to three distinct and historically successful divisions” – namely, acute care, senior care and insurance, in a ratings commentary published June 3. “The Stable Outlooks reflects ProMedica’s successful navigation of the coronavirus […]

HHS Issues New PRF Reporting Requirements, While Rumors Swirl of Future Disbursement to SNFs

Skilled nursing providers may have some financial aid on the way from the federal government to help address the ongoing costs from COVID-19, according to speakers at multiple industry events last week. The speculation comes as the government issued new reporting requirements and deadlines for the federal aid SNFs received over the course of the […]

AllyAlign Health Snags $300M Investment, New CEO

In a testament to the health care industry’s growing interest in value-based care models, AllyAlign Health has pulled in a new investment of $300 million led by global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (NEA), the company announced Thursday. Richmond, Va.-based AllyAlign partners with long-term care providers to set up Medicare Advantage institutional special needs […]

SNF Occupancy Recovery Continues, But Pace Is Critical for REIT Rent Coverage

Though skilled nursing occupancy continues to tick upwards, the growth decelerated recently, which could have significant implications for the real estate investment trusts who are landlords to operators across the U.S., according to a June 6 note from BMO Capital Markets. The national data collected from nursing homes by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]

COVID-19 Death Rates Far Higher in SNFs Than Most Other Senior Living Facility Types, Analysis Finds

A new analysis of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities across dozens of counties in select states found that 39% of SNFs had no COVID-19-related deaths during 2020. The analysis was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago through a grant provided by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing […]

Nursing Home Prices per Bed Spike, Rising Almost 22% From 2020

The total price per bed for nursing homes rose almost 22% year over year for the first quarter of 2021, reaching the second-highest price point for the sector ever recorded, according to the JLL Senior Housing & CARE Investor Survey and Trends Outlook report released Wednesday. The average price per bed for nursing homes hit […]

For Nursing Home Infection Control to Improve, Regulations Need to Prioritize It – While Supporting Facilities

Dr. Buffy Lloyd-Krejci knew nursing homes had infection control problems well before a global pandemic put them in the spotlight. That’s why she started her infection control consulting firm, IPCWell, based in Arizona. She was introduced to the challenges of infection in nursing homes while working on a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control […]

SavaSeniorCare to Pay $11.2M to Settle False Claims Allegations

The nursing home operator SavaSeniorCare LLC and its related entities have agreed to pay $11.2 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act (FCA), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday. That amount encompasses both federal and state settlements, with additional payments possible “if certain financial contingencies occur,” according to the DOJ. The […]