The number of Medicare Advantage Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs) is down 5% for plan year 2026, but the number of I-SNPs led by a provider organization is up. This was one finding from an ATI Advisory analysis of Medicare Advantage (MA) plan offerings, which were the topic of an Oct. 1 webinar. Despite the […]
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% […]
Having acquired the real estate of 18 facilities over a period of 18 months, Creative Solutions in Healthcare is moving forward with an accelerated growth strategy underpinned by HUD financing. “Since we’ve operated across most markets in Texas, we’ve built a deep understanding of where we perform the best, both urban and rural,” Chris Eamiguel, […]
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 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, […]
Long-term care pharmacy Omnicare has entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and is considering various paths forward, including a standalone restructuring or a sale. Omnicare is a subsidiary of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and provides pharmacy services to the long-term care market, including skilled nursing facilities, independent living communities and assisted living communities. The LTC […]
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. […]
By Kristin Carroll Increased resident satisfaction is the top benefit that nursing home providers are hoping to achieve by implementing more technology in their dining and environmental services. That’s according to a survey of nursing home providers conducted by Skilled Nursing News in early summer 2025. The survey focused on strategies for managing environmental, dining, […]
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 […]
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. […]
Hospital length of stay has been increasing more dramatically for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries than traditional Medicare beneficiaries, and this trend is especially pronounced for people who are discharged to a skilled nursing facility. This is according to an article recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the third quarter of 2023, hospital patients on Medicare […]
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 […]
By Kristin Carroll Ignite Medical Resorts is bucking industry trends by bringing newly constructed skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to market. The organization recently opened a newly constructed SNF in St. Peters, Missouri, and is set to open another new facility in Batavia, Illinois, on Sept. 18. The Batavia location brings Ignite to 28 locations across […]
By Kristin Carroll Skilled nursing facilities can leverage the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to provide more palliative care to people near the end of life, helping to drive value-based care goals while improving the patient experience. However, much more needs to be done on the policy level to disrupt the current status quo, in […]
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 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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