Some physician groups have decided to join the accountable care organization (ACO) REACH programs to better serve high needs groups given that the nursing home sector is gravitating toward value-based care – the trend being especially true if patients are already aligned with an ACO through their primary care provider. Theoria Medical, for one, made […]
Category: Featured
United Church Homes (UCH) is continuing to make progress on a recently announced value-based care play with health plan provider CareSource, while responding to the ongoing market and regulatory pressures in the nursing home space. In June, UCH — with a portfolio of about 1,600 senior housing and care units, including 600 nursing home units […]
Beyond minimum staffing requirements, operators may need to prepare for updated assessment requirements, which leaders say will be a “core” aspect of the mandate, along with the 24-hour registered nurse (RN) requirement. And these assessment requirements have increased, resulting in criticism from industry experts on both their value and the added burdens that these might […]
The Biden-Harris Administration announced Wednesday a final rule requiring skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to disclose additional ownership and management information. The final rule, displayed on the Federal Register by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), implements portions of the Affordable Care Act. Nursing homes must submit ownership disclosures within a year of the […]
The nursing home business is in a contraction phase, with continued increased labor costs, revenue draining government initiatives including but not limited to the minimum staffing proposal, and managed care diverting patients away from the space. Operators must balance census and labor with innovative ideas to stay afloat, says Kent Rodgers, President and CEO of […]
Nursing homes could receive a hardship exemption for the minimum staffing proposal – but the devil is in the details here – and looks like qualifying for it is going to be tough. Facilities will need to meet four criteria for an exemption, but it’s unclear how operators will prove some aspects of the criteria […]
CareTrust REIT (NYSE: CTRE) executives disclosed their intention to sell 11 skilled nursing facilities in the Midwest that were classified as held for sale in the second quarter. The announcement was made during the company’s third quarter conference call on Friday, and in the broader context of CareTrust’s proactive portfolio management strategy. Executives indicated that […]
As CEO of Atlanta-based nonprofit A.G. Rhodes and LeadingAge board member, Deke Cateau knows that well-intentioned policies sometimes simply don’t work in the real world – and can even wreak havoc for nursing homes. “If we have individuals … making critical changes to an industry that they do not understand, it’s dangerous. It would be […]
Earlier this year, the Boundary Waters Care Center was in danger of closing. Through a concerted push for funds, the center raised $60,000 in community donations and is still operating — but Executive Director Adam Masloski is fighting every day to overcome operational and financial challenges, and he is deeply concerned about the potential devastating […]
American Healthcare REIT (AHR) has entered into a purchase agreement to take full ownership of its subsidiary, Trilogy REIT Holdings, in which it had a majority stake. NorthStar Healthcare Income, which owns 24% currently, has granted AHR the option to acquire all the minority membership interest held by NorthStar. This is another large purchase for […]
During the third quarter of 2023, Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) generated $80 million of gross proceeds from the disposition of 13 skilled nursing and two senior housing facilities. The bulk of dispositions now could be past, industry analysts noted. “While the REIT is still selling some assets, we believe the bulk of the […]
More than two months after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its minimum staffing proposal for the skilled nursing industry, commentary from stakeholders came to a close Monday with a staggering 40,000-plus comments received. Reviewing the hefty load of comments on the proposal may take as long as a year, according to […]
Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) has sold 29 LaVie facilities for gross proceeds of $305 million. This Nov. 1, 2023, sale marked a substantial reduction in Omega’s exposure to LaVie assets, decreasing associated risk, CEO Taylor Pickett said Friday during the company’s Q3 2023 earnings call. Also on the call, leaders with Omega commented on […]
As nursing home operators continue to decry staffing shortages as a contributor to access issues for residents, new construction of facilities to meet demand appear to be lagging as well. New construction has become especially difficult for operators trying to add Medicaid beds for low income residents, given notoriously low reimbursement rates – which are […]
Seema Verma, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), isn’t happy with the talk on Capitol Hill around nursing homes, saying that it shows a lack of knowledge on the lawmakers’ part, making it incumbent upon sector leaders to engage with lawmakers directly, even inviting them into facilities. Currently senior […]
As the comment period for the federal government’s staffing proposal winds down, advocates for both nursing homes and residents alike are looking at ways to reach a middle ground. Among these advocates for measured change are members of the Moving Forward Coalition – an organization formed in April 2022 following the National Academies of Sciences, […]
With nursing home operators having a couple months to process the minimum staffing proposal, many are taking a hard look at what would need to change to meet the proposal in its current form, and what revisions would make the most sense. Leaders with Trilogy Health Services, Avamere Living and Ignite Medical Resorts caution that […]
Nursing home industry stakeholders should try to shape the proposed federal minimum staffing policy to best fit with what providers can handle rather than railing against the rule completely. At least that’s what leaders of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) plan to do, CEO Barry Port said during the company’s third quarter earnings call on […]
The proposed federal staffing mandate is a potential “kill factor” for nursing home providers, while the rise of Medicare Advantage (MA) is a “major challenge” — and how well the sector responds to these threats will play a major part in shaping the future. This is the perspective of Phil Fogg Jr., CEO of Marquis […]
With the federal staffing mandate pending, many nursing home operators are looking for ways to retain their current staff. Research has shown that the role of regional clinical leadership – and the turnover rates of NH administrators (NHA) and directors of nursing (DON) – have an impact on overall quality. Stuart Almer, the CEO of […]