The House narrowly passed a sweeping Republican-backed bill Thursday that could significantly alter Medicaid, with cuts of $625 billion to the program over the course of 10 years. Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, dubbed the bill “cold-hearted legislation” with “ugly” consequences. “If enacted, the policies in the House-passed bill will have a […]
Category: Featured
The UnitedHealth Group (Nasdaq: UNH) allegedly paid bonuses to nursing homes in order to reduce hospital transfers of residents under its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, according to an investigation conducted by The Guardian. The investigation revealed these cost-cutting practices saved the company millions, but endangered patient health; this included delayed or denied emergency hospital care. […]
Easily preventable and overlooked compliance issues in nursing homes often start in the kitchen and resident rooms, but there is another surprising source: Amazon deliveries. All the while, the category of infection prevention and control continues to lead in number of citations. and surveyors often see multiple failure points when it comes to person-centered care, too, […]
Some state legislatures are taking a closer look at the sustainability of long-term care, with their eye on a rapidly aging population and an increased need for such services in the coming years. In Pennsylvania, nursing home associations testified on reimbursement during a legislative hearing this spring as the state discussed its 2025-26 budget. Pennsylvania’s […]
There’s still ambiguity in how surveyors will interpret new elements of survey changes, but tightening up documentation to best reflect a resident’s condition and care plan goals will be key for nursing homes adjusting to these. According to operators who’ve begun implementing these changes, the new survey effective April 28 aims to improve assessment accuracy, […]
The current nursing home market has its share of positives and negatives midway through 2025, with operators enjoying Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement increases as well as a decline in facility supply, creating higher competition among buyers. Buyers are being more aggressive in the acquisition process, he said, with fewer facilities available. Brokerage firms are seeing […]
The new direction of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) renews focus on harmonizing payments across care settings – a shift that could impact nursing home profits – even as the federal agency’s commitment to advancing value-based care (VBC) remains strong. In a meeting held by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation […]
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce has released a budget proposal that would place a moratorium on the federal nursing home staffing mandate and also prevent states from establishing new provider taxes. In its quest to find $880 billion in savings, the committee was widely expected to propose major cuts and changes […]
American Healthcare REIT’s (NYSE: AHR) diversified portfolio helped sustain growth despite a typical seasonal slowdown in the first quarter, with a strong performance from Trilogy’s skilled nursing amid occupancy gains and disciplined expense control, executives said Friday. “It is our long-term view that the senior housing industry is benefiting, and should continue to benefit from […]
A nursing home regulatory model focused on real-time collaboration between state, federal and provider leaders is crucial, considering existing outdated and punitive regulatory practices seen in some states. In Texas, for example, there’s a disproportionate issuance of immediate jeopardy (IJ) citations and associated financial penalties, which discourage investment in the industry while demoralizing staff, Focused […]
Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) is currently less focused on acquiring skilled nursing assets and is satisfied with its existing asset mix, which includes senior housing. The company is also steering clear of large portfolio deals, CEO Rick Matros said Tuesday. “[We’ve been] able to have a better balance in our portfolio between senior […]
High-level citations could be on the rise since new requirements for transfers and discharges went into effect on April 28. Immediate jeopardy (IJ) citations, for instance, that are dreaded by nursing home operators and are often the result of the many benign and avoidable ways facility staff can misunderstand the citation, can increase with the […]
Deals in the U.K. continued to be a large driver of investment activity in 2025 for Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), with a $344 million April investment of a 45-care home portfolio in the U.K. and Jersey, closing after the first financial quarter’s end. Care homes in the U.K. are essentially nursing homes, but can […]
The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) closed a strong first quarter, marked by wage and labor stability, as the company looks ahead to a steady pace of investments. “We are thrilled to announce another record setting quarter achieved by our local teams. In spite of all the industry noise,” CEO Barry Port said during the company’s […]
While the demand for nursing home MDS coordinators has always been higher than their availability, some organizations are beginning to see fruits from concerted efforts to stabilize this specialized role. MDS coordinators ensure accuracy of minimum data set (MDS), which in turn is evaluated by surveyors. With brand new survey changes going into effect Monday […]
Tackling rising acuity for Majestic Care goes beyond beefing up clinical teams amid a shortage of specialized roles. The Indiana-based provider has been responding to sicker patients in the nursing home space across local and regional settings, fine-tuning the provision of specialty services based on geography. High levels of support for clinical teams from the […]
Congress may cut Medicaid provider taxes for nursing homes as a part of budget reconciliation, significantly impacting the sector as many providers rely on this avenue of reimbursement for crucial services and resident resources. These taxes are a key funding tool: providers pay a fee, matched by federal dollars, to support state Medicaid programs. But […]
Private equity ownership in the nursing home sector, currently estimated at between 5% and 13%, may be higher and growing – a development that raises consumer concerns about resident harm and quality of care, especially in light of several high-profile bankruptcies in recent years involving PE-owned facilities. PE-driven bankruptcies have impacted residents, workers, and the […]
Changes to nursing home survey protocols — set to take effect April 28 — are putting a sharper focus on resident rights, documentation practices, and medication oversight. The revisions demand airtight documentation, particularly around discharge, behavioral health interventions and psychotropic drug use. Of the ten area changes due to take place, providers should pay the […]
Nursing homes are under increasing pressure to transform their businesses and care models to cater to patients with higher acuity, shorter stays, and tighter budgets. The challenge isn’t just recruitment of staff with the right skill set, but also building an infrastructure that supports ongoing staff development. And this, in turn, calls for greater investment […]