‘The Halo Effect’: As Lower Reimbursement Rates Loom for the Nursing Home Sector, Exit Planning Advised

Amid economic uncertainty and a phased rollout of significant federal funding cuts over the next three to five years, future reimbursement projections appear grim, and nursing homes shouldn’t delay dealmaking, especially if operators are planning to sell. This view is held by financial experts who note that while the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act […]

‘Turn Over Every Rock’: A Deep Dive Into Changing Surveyor Guidelines and How Nursing Homes Are Adapting

While the 900-plus pages of updates to surveyor guidelines is still daunting for the industry, operators have had a couple months of experience, making adjustments to the day-to-day while planning ahead. An easy first step toward preparation since guidance changes has been to identify when a facility’s next survey is due, then prioritize areas of […]

‘Need to Tell the Story’: CMS Survey Changes and Coding Mistakes Drive Tighter Documentation, Dedicated Audit Roles

With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updating surveyor guidance and Care Compare metrics, compliance teams at nursing homes are adapting their internal audit response processes. However, operators say the task has caused hurdles for their clinical teams, with some even creating a dedicated role specifically to manage such audits. A major source […]

Senators Probe UnitedHealth Over Medicare Advantage Hospitalization Incentives for Nursing Homes

Senators are pressing UnitedHealth Group (Nasdaq: UNH) over concerns that the company inappropriately encourages nursing homes to limit hospitalizations for residents enrolled in some of the company’s Medicare Advantage health plans. The probe was launched by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) following a May report in The Guardian alleging that UnitedHealth is […]

‘Really Good Place’: Sabra Eyes More Skilled Nursing Opportunities, With OBBBA Being ‘Non-Issue’

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has been a “non-issue” for Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) when it comes to dealmaking conversations. The sector also appears to be in a different place now, given the continued decline in supply relative to occupancy, Sabra CEO Rick Matros said Tuesday. The skilled nursing sector’s lobbying […]

Omega Executives on Genesis Bankruptcy, PACS, and OBBBA Fallout Amid Improving Operational Dynamics

Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) raised its earnings guidance despite the bankruptcy filing of its nursing home tenant, Genesis Healthcare, with executives on Friday citing confidence in the company’s reorganization plans and ability to meet rent obligations. “With our strong acquisition pipeline, a favorable operating environment and over $2 billion in liquidity with very low […]

[UPDATED] CMS Finalizes 3.2% Skilled Nursing Medicare Rate Increase, With Updates to Quality Reporting Program 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its 2026 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) rule, approving a net increase of 3.2%, or approximately $1.16 billion in Medicare Part A payments for next year. It’s a jump compared to the proposed 2.8% increase released by CMS in April. For fiscal 2026, […]

Inside the High-Pressure Role of the Director of Nursing – and the ‘Safe Space’ That Makes a Difference

There’s a large turnover of leaders and nurses in long-term care, a trend that operators know well threatens not only the care of residents but also destabilizes a fragile workforce. Directors of nursing (DONs) carry the burden of leading, educating, and advocating for residents and staff, yet many struggle with leadership transitions, regulations, and nursing […]

As CMS Has Certificate of Need Laws in Crosshairs, States Debate Their Usefulness to Nursing Homes

Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have said they would seek to support changes at the state level to strengthen competition, including addressing uncompetitive certificate of need (CON) laws. While CMS didn’t elaborate at the time, nursing home leaders said incentives to do away with such laws may be likely, despite […]

‘Worst Is Behind Us’: Ensign Execs on OBBBA, Larger Nursing Home Deals, and Decentralized Model Paying Off

The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) expressed gratitude that the skilled nursing industry was largely protected from direct cuts to Medicaid in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Mission Viejo, California-based Ensign plans to use its good working relationships with state legislators and governors’ offices to remind those in power of how important funding for […]

Inside the ‘Amazon Effect’ Influencing Future Nursing Home Builds

In the midst of what some nursing home operators are calling the “Amazon Effect” on consumers, providers are facing an important choice when it comes to future builds: design for the expanding middle market or cater to the high-end, private-pay segment. Consumer expectations guided in part by a higher level of instant gratification in the […]

PDPM Linked To Increased Costs, Coding Intensity; Reforms Could Focus on Nursing Home Staffing Levels

Implementation of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) significantly increased coding intensity among skilled nursing facilities, while Medicare expenditures grew by $665 per beneficiary on average, despite the model’s intended budget neutrality. Increased spending was observed especiallyamong patients with medically complex health care needs, according to a study published on Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Meanwhile, […]

Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents, D-SNPs Face Indirect But Disproportionate Impact Under OBBBA

The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) could have a disproportionate impact on nursing home residents eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, often referred to as “dual eligibles.” These residents often face fragmented care, higher costs and poor outcomes as a result of misaligned systems. While the OBBBA doesn’t target this population directly, […]

‘Big Ugly Dilemma’: Nursing Homes Not Ready to Absorb Overflow From Hospitals, Optional HCBS Population After OBBBA

As states brace for cuts to optional home care and hospital bottlenecks due to Medicaid reductions in the federal budget reconciliation bill, nursing homes will need to handle the overflow – but whether most facilities across the U.S. are prepared for the surge is another matter. This scenario is especially true in states where the […]

‘Not Entirely Spared’: Nursing Homes in the Eye of the Storm Unfolding in the Aftermath of the Big Beautiful Bill

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has unintended consequences, with more tailwinds than headwinds, for nursing homes and other long-term care, placing greater burdens on states.  According to ATI Advisory CEO Anne Tumlinson, who spoke at a webinar on Tuesday alongside other experts about the impact of OBBBA on long-term care, nursing homes are […]

‘One Voice Matters’: Inside the Retentionist Role at Nursing Homes to Tackle Workforce Woes

The Retentionist role may be the newest effort to bolster the workforce at nursing homes, which have long struggled with labor instability and shortages. With state funding backing the effort, Monarch Health Management – an operator of 45 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) as well as over 20 long-term care communities across Minnesota – has seen […]

‘Recut, Redone, or Sold’: How High Interest Rates Are Contributing to Nursing Home Financial Strain

Nursing operators, especially those who own their own facilities, are facing financial strain caused by high interest rates as they attempt to restructure existing loans. While HUD loans and loans financed through real estate investment trust (REITs) are safe from interest rate fluctuations, other forms of financing are facing higher interest rates when converting debt […]