The nursing home sector hopes to move away from outdated, punitive oversight and toward a more constructive, modern regulatory model in 2026 and beyond – an approach Clif Porter, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), has been tirelessly working to achieve and refers to as […]
As of October 2025, CMS has officially removed Section R from the Minimum Data Set (MDS), eliminating four items related to social determinants of health (SDOH), including questions on food security, housing, and utilities. The finalized change, initially unexpected, is influencing how skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) approach discharge planning and resident care coordination, and it […]
Technology is shaping operations, care delivery, staffing, and regulatory risk management in nursing homes, and its deployment, long thought to be behind the times, is finally catching up to other sectors within the health care continuum. From a regulatory and risk management perspective, Brickyard Healthcare’s chief clinical officer, Lisa Chubb, said that the use of […]
In the latest Minimum Data Set (MDS), effective on Oct. 1, providers will need to pay close attention to definition changes, including the term used to define gender, as well as to the sections on Falls and Therapy Services, which have become known as major sources of compliance errors and revenue loss. Sector experts advise […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has withdrawn legal appeals in the Fifth Circuit and the Eighth Circuit defending federal minimum staffing requirements in nursing homes. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted the HHS motion to dismiss on Friday, Sept. 19. HHS on Sept. 18 filed a motion […]
A proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to phase out a list of inpatient-only hospital procedures threatens skilled nursing facility (SNF) access if the so-called three-day stay rule is not eliminated, and also should prompt bigger thinking about the role SNFs can and should play in the U.S. health care system. […]
Nursing homes are frequently failing to report when a resident falls and experiences a major injury. That’s according to findings posted Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Nursing homes have poor compliance with fall reporting requirements mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
In their quest to reduce hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes, nursing home providers should not underestimate the difference that strong hydration and nutrition programs can make. This was one theme of the recent Skilled Nursing News RETHINK Conference in Chicago, where leaders with various providers spoke of their companies’ efforts and achievements in these areas. […]
By Kristin Carroll The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed suit under the False Claims Act against ProMedica Health System, alleging substandard care at nursing homes previously operated by the organization. The lawsuit lists four skilled nursing facilities in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Ohio and Virginia, which ProMedica owned and operated from 2018 to […]
By Kristin Carroll When skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) outsource environmental, housekeeping and dining services, compliance and survey readiness is the most important consideration in selecting a vendor partner – while the resident dining experience is the area that is in most need of improvement. That’s according to recently conducted research from Skilled Nursing News, which […]
The Trump administration’s approach to regulation is creating long-sought opportunities for nursing home providers to have more say in shaping policies, but providers must do a better job of promoting the areas in which they excel. Steve LaForte, CFO and principal at Cascadia Healthcare, describes the new administration’s approach as “rational regulation” – a way […]
In addressing challenges that lead to costly coding mistakes in the Minimum Data Set (MDS), nursing home providers are not only amping up their use of technology but finding unique ways to boost cross-team collaboration as well as reduce burnout among MDS coordinators. Many providers are still struggling with documentation errors, undercoding, and operational challenges […]
Skilled nursing providers should be especially on alert for F-tags related to chemical restraints, and should also be prepared to have some difficult conversations to ensure survey success in the current environment. These were a few takeaways that leaders with Brickyard Healthcare and Majestic Care shared this week at the Skilled Nursing News RETHINK Conference […]
To meet some of the most daunting challenges facing nursing home providers today – including in the realms of workforce and regulations – leaders must shift their mindsets. This was one major takeaway from a recent webinar that Skilled Nursing News hosted, featuring a panel of nursing home executives. With regard to public policy and […]
Even though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially ended its 5-Claim Probe process for nursing homes as of June, many providers still find themselves in limbo with audits. While no new claim requests will be issued – the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) 5-Claim Probe process ended on June 30 – some facilities […]
The final Minimum Data Set (MDS) item sets and matrix for nursing homes were released late Friday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This version of the MDS will go into effect Oct. 1 and includes policies finalized in the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment Schedule (SNF PPS) final rule. The biggest […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be pausing Nursing Home Care Compare updates. The agency announced the temporary pause to ensure accuracy of publicly reported information during a transition from the legacy Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) to the cloud-based Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). Through September, CMS will […]
While the 900-plus pages of updates to surveyor guidelines is still daunting for the industry, operators have had a couple months of experience, making adjustments to the day-to-day while planning ahead. An easy first step toward preparation since guidance changes has been to identify when a facility’s next survey is due, then prioritize areas of […]
A regulatory hat will be the latest of many worn by medical directors at nursing homes. They are expected to play an integral role in surveys moving forward, and will be on the hook if documentation is missing or a situation wasn’t handled with new survey requirements in mind. Medical directors already have significant administrative […]
Although most nursing homes increased direct care spending, staffing levels still declined at many facilities between 2018 and 2021, according to the latest analysis of Medicaid reimbursement for direct care compensation released Monday by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The study also focused on the percentage of Medicaid funds allocated to direct care workers, […]
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