Genesis Inks $79M Deal to Cede Control of 19 Facilities — While Still Providing Back-End Support, Therapy

Genesis HealthCare (NYSE: GEN) on Tuesday announced a set of deals that will see the skilled nursing giant transfer control of 19 facilities in the West to a regional operator — while also still serving as a provider of back-office support and ancillary services. Under the terms of the $79 million transaction, the Los Angeles-based […]

Winners Still Outnumber Losers in Latest PDPM Analysis, But Length of Stay Trends Could Erase Rate Gains

The latest analysis of the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes again shows more operators scoring gains than suffering losses, but the change from the previous system may not be quite as straightforward — particularly as fee-for-service Medicare continues to lose ground to other payment sources. A little more than 67% of skilled nursing […]

Tips for Early PDPM Success: Demand More Data from Hospitals, Market Higher-Acuity Services

The early returns for the new Medicare nursing home payment model have been positive, but providers aren’t seeing gains by sitting back and watching the changes. Several key strategies for success have emerged in the Patient-Driven Payment Model’s first four months, with a particular focus on data — as well as clearly communicating the availability […]

Skilled Nursing Finance Vet: If CMS Isn’t ‘Measured’ on Medicaid Crackdown, Operators Face ‘Quite a Blow’

When it comes to the buying, selling, and financial backing of skilled nursing facilities, the new chief development officer of Senior Living Investment Brokerage has seen all angles. Steve Gilleland, who joined the Glen Ellyn, Ill.-based SLIB at the beginning of the month, worked on the lending side of skilled nursing and senior housing in […]

New Physician Group Targets ‘Tremendous Challenge’ of Readmissions, Clinician Turnover in Skilled Nursing

As hospitals have increased pressure to reduce post-acute lengths of stay, and nursing homes take on higher-acuity patients, the skilled nursing space has grappled with the dueling potential for great financial gains — along with heightened risks in appropriately managing this population. One emerging strategy focuses on embedding higher-level clinicians, including physicians and advanced-practice nurses, […]

Why 2020 Could Be the Year of PDPM Exits — and the Skilled Nursing-Led ACO

The consulting firm Avalere Health, based in Washington, D.C., has had a front-row seat for the changes shaping the health care world, including the post-acute sphere. For skilled nursing facilities, many of those changes have felt like one punch after another, ranging from the rise of Medicare Advantage enrollment to the federal government’s encouragement of […]

Skilled Nursing Operators See Disaster Ahead As CMS Takes Aim at Medicaid-Boosting Provider Taxes

The federal government has proposed a rule governing the use of Medicaid supplemental payments for nursing homes that could have drastic effects on the reimbursement they receive. But the ripples of the rule don’t stop there. They could also overhaul the taxes that providers pay in several states — taxes that in turn contribute to […]

Pending Part B Changes Could Have Major Impact on Nursing Home Finances, Therapy Staffing

Early returns for the new Medicare Part A reimbursement system for nursing home operators appear positive, but some industry advocates warn that more Part B pain could be coming over the next few years, both for therapists and skilled nursing providers. And although the exploding senior population represents heavy demand for therapy services, some leaders […]

Skilled Nursing Executive Outlook: ‘Question of Nursing Homes’ Viability Will Continue’ in 2020

Though the early days of 2020 have brought some optimism around the state of the post-acute and long-term care industry, executives in the space continue to emphasize that the coming 12 months could bring make-or-break decisions for operators and their partners. One day after American Health Care Association (AHCA) CEO Mark Parkinson told SNN that […]

AHCA’s Parkinson: PDPM is Running Above Budget-Neutral, But Clawbacks Aren’t Inevitable

Early analyses of the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes indicate that operators may be pulling in more money than the federal government intended — leading to widespread speculation that adjustments could be coming sometime in 2020. American Health Care Association (AHCA) president and CEO Mark Parkinson agrees with the idea that the Patient-Driven […]

Proposed Medicaid Rule Would Mean Billions in Cuts, Waves of Nursing Home Closures

With skilled nursing facilities in multiple states facing significant shortfalls in their Medicaid reimbursement, supplemental payment programs used to bolster rates have become a lifeline. This is especially true for Texas and Indiana, both of which employ programs designed to get SNFs a higher rate for Medicaid services through varying mechanisms. Both states are motivated […]

Confessions of a Therapist Post-PDPM: ‘You’re Not Valuable to Them Because You’re Not Making Money’

Among the many early takeaways from the new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), perhaps the most immediate was its effect on rank-and-file therapists who work at skilled nursing facilities. Almost instantly after the PDPM shift on October 1, Skilled Nursing News received a flurry of e-mails from therapists who were laid off or saw their hours […]