In adjusting to new case-mix systems under the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), the changes to reimbursement rates might be more widespread and large-scale than anticipated, posing financing threats to the nursing home sector because lenders are basing loans on rate projections that are expected to be scaled back. The goal of budget neutrality – […]
In order to keep Medicare Advantage plans in check for denial of services, provider organizations are pressuring federal authorities to do more, and asking them to closely monitor and aggressively enforce reforms for these plans as envisioned in a final rule that takes effect on Jan. 1. Companies managing MA plans have said they don’t […]
As patient preference continues to shift away from nursing homes, public attention is increasingly on alternate modes of skilled nursing care as well, including continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Newsweek, for one, came out with a ranking of such communities in partnership with global market and consumer data firm Statista. The companies expect rankings to […]
As Covid cases rise across the country and nursing home operators prepare for another ‘tripledemic’ with the flu, RSV and Covid hitting at once, only 2% of staff are up-to-date on Covid shots while the national average sits at 17% for residents, according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A […]
The Biden-Harris Administration is taking additional action to empower nursing home residents and their families to make informed decisions about care and to hold nursing homes accountable for the service they provide by requiring nursing homes to disclose additional ownership and management information to CMS and states and making this information public. This is a […]
Nursing homes could receive a hardship exemption for the minimum staffing proposal – but the devil is in the details here – and looks like qualifying for it is going to be tough. Facilities will need to meet four criteria for an exemption, but it’s unclear how operators will prove some aspects of the criteria […]
As advocacy efforts to oppose the federal government’s proposed staffing mandate continue, the National Association for Licensed Practical Nurses (NALPN) is lending its voice towards the withdrawal of the mandate by sharing a joint letter it sent to the federal agency. The role of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) has been chopped off from the proposal, […]
With the country well into flu season, the majority of nursing home workers remain unvaccinated for the flu as well as Covid-19. Fewer than one in every four health care workers received up-to-date Covid vaccines, and less than half have gotten the latest flu shot, according to 2023 data collected by the Centers for Disease […]
As CEO of Atlanta-based nonprofit A.G. Rhodes and LeadingAge board member, Deke Cateau knows that well-intentioned policies sometimes simply don’t work in the real world – and can even wreak havoc for nursing homes. “If we have individuals … making critical changes to an industry that they do not understand, it’s dangerous. It would be […]
More than two months after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its minimum staffing proposal for the skilled nursing industry, commentary from stakeholders came to a close Monday with a staggering 40,000-plus comments received. Reviewing the hefty load of comments on the proposal may take as long as a year, according to […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to further advance its overall value-based care strategy with the finalized 20224 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) – adding ways for medically complex, high-cost beneficiaries like those in nursing homes to participate in Medicare Shared Savings Programs (MSSPs). Additionally, CMS therapy assistants can be more generally […]
As the comment period for the federal government’s staffing proposal winds down, advocates for both nursing homes and residents alike are looking at ways to reach a middle ground. Among these advocates for measured change are members of the Moving Forward Coalition – an organization formed in April 2022 following the National Academies of Sciences, […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should not implement the proposed nursing home staffing mandate for numerous reasons, including that “numerical staffing staffing thresholds are not consistent with the modern clinical practice.” That’s according to the American Hospital Association (AHA), which commented on the proposed mandate on behalf of its nearly 5,000 member […]
Leaders with LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) see opportunity in a fluctuating bank lending environment, with maturities coming due for operators at a brisk pace and interest rate increases causing a fair amount of anxiety among operators and some lenders. This environment favors real estate investment trusts (REITs) like LTC, which maintain a conservative investment strategy […]
With nursing home operators having a couple months to process the minimum staffing proposal, many are taking a hard look at what would need to change to meet the proposal in its current form, and what revisions would make the most sense. Leaders with Trilogy Health Services, Avamere Living and Ignite Medical Resorts caution that […]
Nursing home industry stakeholders should try to shape the proposed federal minimum staffing policy to best fit with what providers can handle rather than railing against the rule completely. At least that’s what leaders of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) plan to do, CEO Barry Port said during the company’s third quarter earnings call on […]
More guidance is available on how to conduct mood interview changes, with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) manual to reflect key changes in the new Minimum Data Set (MDS). Notably, if a resident refuses or is unwilling to participate in the interview, assessors need to go […]
Nearly 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the proposed federal nursing home staffing mandate. The lawmakers on Friday sent a letter to CMS describing their concerns with the mandate. “Finalizing this proposal would result in limited access to care for seniors, […]
While nursing home operators are dealing with a host of financial and operational challenges, they must as always be alert to how the Department of Justice (DOJ) is pursuing False Claims Act cases against providers. Nursing home practices under Covid-era waivers, the transition to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), and concerns over substandard care are […]
Only 6% of real estate investment trust (REIT) assets are in compliance with the federal minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes, compared to the industry average of 19%. This difference is due at least in part to less nonprofit representation in REITs, BMO Capital Markets analysts said in a note on Thursday. The BMO analysts […]
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