Welltower (NYSE: WELL) leaders elaborated on the company’s major expansion in the U.K., following its acquisition of a Barchester Healthcare portfolio for approximately $6.92 billion, as well as gaining 100% equity ownership in HC-One for about $1.6 billion. Welltower CEO Shankh Mitra said during the real estate investment trust’s (REIT) Q3 2025 earnings call that […]
The nursing home sector hopes to move away from outdated, punitive oversight and toward a more constructive, modern regulatory model in 2026 and beyond – an approach Clif Porter, president and CEO of the American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 […]
Having the right staff is key for skilled nursing providers to remain financially viable in a volatile market, and with recent regulatory changes, planning for higher acuity patients takes priority. These are some of the takeaways leaders from Journey Skilled Nursing and Ocean Healthcare shared during a panel discussion at the recent Skilled Nursing News’ […]
As census rebounds across nursing homes, the growing influence – and financial strain – of Medicare Advantage is pushing providers to rethink both their payer mix and physical design of buildings. While the industry is clearly moving toward Medicare Advantage and value-based care models – and making accommodations to balance quality care with reduced reimbursement […]
Family and patient mistrust of nursing home providers can create a barrier to care. A multidisciplinary team is needed to craft care plans and rebuild trust after something goes wrong. That’s according to a case study presented by Cleveland Clinic geriatrician Luke Dogyun Kim, M.D., at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. […]
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 […]
Leadership at Cascadia Healthcare, which operates 25 facilities in Idaho, is raising the alarm over recent back-to-back Medicaid rate cuts in the state, warning that they threaten not only facility closures but could also impact the entire health care ecosystem. Idaho lowered its Medicaid reimbursement rate by 4% on Sept. 1, after lowering rates 3% […]
The small size and high year-to-year variability of the financial rewards and penalties offered by value-based purchasing programs for nursing homes likely undermined the program’s effectiveness. These are the findings of a JAMA study released Wednesday, which measured the performance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) VBP program for skilled nursing facilities […]
The rise of Medicare Advantage has created problems related to skilled nursing, including “unneeded and unnecessary care delays,” according to Trilogy Health Services Chief Medical Officer Andrew McNamara, M.D. However, SNF providers also have to better understand Medicare Advantage in order to address these issues, McNamara told Skilled Nursing News in an interview that has […]
While census remains strong at nursing homes, certain factors – such as insufficient hiring of skilled clinical workers and limited use of technology and AI tools to align with referral partners and hospitals – could negatively impact census. Andy Frasure, COO of Larry H. Miller Senior Health, and Steve Hart, COO of Heritage Operations Group, […]
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. […]
Despite macroeconomic and regulatory uncertainties, the investment outlook for skilled nursing and assisted living is robust. That’s according to panelists at Skilled Nursing News’ recent RETHINK conference, who highlighted that conditions are finally normalizing in the skilled nursing space, five years after the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “The COVID hangover is over,” said Sam Bechthold, chief […]
By Sloane Airey As pressure mounts for the skilled nursing industry, Brickyard Healthcare is making progress on key goals, such as driving down annualized turnover. The company also is achieving lower rehospitalization rates while also moving forward — along with partner organizations — on the nation’s largest provider-owned Medicare Advantage Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP). […]
In the aftermath of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), hospital funding cuts could disrupt care coordination, delay discharges, and heighten competition with nursing homes for Medicaid resources. But nursing home providers also could have new opportunities to strengthen their relationships with hospitals and achieve some long-sought policy wins. One major shift that nursing […]
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 […]
By Kristin Carroll More advanced technology, a team-based approach to prevention and care, and concerted efforts to drive vaccination are among the key strategies that can help nursing home providers combat infections, falls and pressure ulcers. These “big, bad three” clinical challenges are persistent within facilities but providers can “improve them drastically,” Dr. Andrew McNamara, […]
By Kristin Carroll Building a strong and stable workforce continues to rank among the most daunting challenges across the skilled nursing sector, but providers are notching wins in recruitment and retention. Monarch Healthcare Management, Journey and Senior Management Inc. Care & Rehab have succeeded in drastically reducing use of agency staff; have created new roles, […]
The success of skilled nursing and long-term care providers today and in the future is increasingly tied to how swiftly and successfully they can adapt to a world in which complex care is rapidly migrating out of the hospital. “The health systems, hospitals – our acute care partners – are really looking to fine-tune what […]
by Jennifer Murtoff The CEO of Good Samaritan, the nation’s largest nonprofit skilled nursing provider, is bullish on wins related to staffing – perennially one of the most daunting challenges in the sector. More specifically, Good Samaritan’s own workforce initiatives have driven positive results, including improvement in the organization’s 90-day retention rate for new hires. […]
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