Potential Medicaid cuts under President Donald Trump, amounting to more than $2.3 trillion over the span of a decade, are likely amid Republican leadership’s reluctance to trim Medicare and Social Security, with the nursing home sector expected to face deep impacts. In total, House Republicans are exploring over $5 trillion in potential cuts to offset […]
In the aftermath of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) response to a pending lawsuit against the federal minimum staffing mandate, nursing home sector experts are stressing that legally defeating the mandate – and effectively canceling it – remains crucial. “The section [in HHS’s response] relating to the limitation on the relief is […]
Among the myriad executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day Monday was one that freezes new regulations. A welcome relief for nursing home providers, the executive order reflects the new Republican administration’s overall preference for less regulation. However, it is worth noting that this executive order will not derail the staffing mandate […]
Traditional workforce development models often fail because they don’t address personal barriers to success, such as housing, transportation and childcare, that workers in the nursing home sector – where many are single mothers – face in maintaining employment. While staffing has improved over the last year, these common life struggles threaten the stability of the […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 4.33% increase in payments to Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, which could have an overall positive trickle-down effect on nursing homes. Expected to be finalized under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, this slight payment boost comes after MA providers faced a modest rate reduction for 2025. […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to offer up to $20 million to boost the registered nurse (RN) workforce in nursing homes, but this, along with the agency’s Nursing Home Staffing Campaign, misses the mark on many levels, according to operators. This funding grants nursing students seeking to become RNs up to […]
As the dust finally began to settle in 2024 from the operational storm unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home operators found themselves in a good position to turn to an issue that had not been so much ignored as largely postponed in the wake of the lasting damage. Closures along with mergers and acquisitions […]
Despite the sector continuing to grapple with staffing shortages, rising operational costs, and regulatory uncertainty, emerging trends have skilled nursing leaders gearing up for a positive 2025, with fewer challenges and more opportunities on the horizon. As we look ahead, several key trends are expected to shape the sector from regulatory shifts to financial turbulence, […]
While many providers offer a continuum of care for older adults, Trilogy Health Services CEO Leigh Ann Barney describes the company as something of a “unicorn” in its commitment to offering a full continuum — including skilled nursing — at scale. Indeed, the commitment to skilled nursing as part of a larger continuum is part […]
Sufficient reimbursement, less regulation and adequate staffing are all attractive features for dealmaking, impacting operator decisions on which states and regions offer the path of least resistance when it comes to expanding their footprint. It may boil down to price per bed and the ease of the change of ownership (CHOW) process when determining desirability […]
Optum is scaling back its Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans for nursing home and assisted living residents in several regions. The health care services arm of insurance giant UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UHG), Optum, made headlines earlier this year for workforce cuts. Now, the company is shutting down Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs) in several states, […]
While prior authorization has a legitimate role in Medicare Advantage coverage, the practice has expanded to the point of negatively affecting care. This aspect of MA needs to be right sized, and likely through legislation, nursing home leaders said. About 90%-plus of physicians, including those serving nursing home patients, have said that one or more […]
At the LeadingAge annual conference in Nashville Monday, leaders urged the industry to challenge flawed government policies that force providers to piece together insufficient systems of care. This approach ultimately places the blame on providers when problems arise, they said. Executives from the nonprofit advocacy group were joined by providers in criticizing this approach. “Why […]
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