Bipartisan legislation under consideration in Illinois would add $200 million in additional federal Medicaid matching funds to the state, supplementing increased non-clinical expenses and administrative costs for nursing homes and bringing operators one step closer to Medicaid reform that better reflects the true cost of care. Lawmakers across the aisle on Tuesday announced their sponsorship […]
Category: Legislation
A bill to reform prior authorization requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) – a massive burden that nursing home operators have been trying to change for some time – was reintroduced on Capitol Hill Thursday. Nursing homes have long argued that this aspect of MA needs to be right-sized through legislation. The Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays […]
As legislators think about how to make long-term care more accessible for a wave of future residents in the coming years, the nursing home sector along with other post-acute care settings could be a bipartisan rallying point. This is especially true as the baby boomer generation drives demand for long-term care, and the country continues […]
As Congress moves forward with a Republican budget resolution, Medicaid may be on the chopping block, with state governments expected to bear the cost. Nursing home leaders are warning that the cuts, if enacted, could hit the sector hard. On Tuesday night, the House narrowly passed a budget resolution, 217-215, losing only one Republican vote. […]
During a heated first confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised concerns over the practicality of the nursing home staffing mandate, acknowledging the risks it poses to access of care, especially in rural communities. He also shared his vision for lowering overall health care costs. Kennedy is seeking to lead the $1.7 trillion […]
All across the U.S., from California to Massachusetts and Wisconsin and Minnesota, especially in states with large rural communities, experts are worried that President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration, along with his pledge to lead the largest deportation effort in history, will compound the worker shortage the nursing home sector currently faces. President Trump’s […]
Michael Bassett was announced as the head of government relations for the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) on Monday, replacing Clifton J. Porter, who became the association’s president and CEO earlier this year. Porter lauded Bassett’s proven track record of securing wins on Capitol Hill. “Michael [is] not only […]
Ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election, the two leading candidates appear to share some common ground regarding overall support for long-term care, including nursing homes, and their commitment to Medicare. However, a deeper look at their positions reveals differences that could, according to some, lead to changes in the nature of the Medicare program over time. […]
More than two-dozen skilled nursing facilities in Iowa are under new ownership, following the closing of a historic transaction this month. The sale is the largest SNF deal ever recorded in The Hawkeye State, according to Marcus & Millichap, which closed the transaction. ABCM sold its skilled nursing and assisted living assets to Chicago-based private […]
Several important bills aimed at bolstering the long-term care workforce were passed Wednesday by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce and will advance to the next stage. The legislation includes the Building America’s Health Care Workforce Act, the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act, the Congressional Review Act (CRA), and the Telehealth […]
Republicans in the Senate will not pursue a vote for a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s nursing home staffing mandate. The resolution by way of the proposed Congressional Review Act (CRA) would allow lawmakers to pursue a legislative tool that can fast-track the nullification of the staffing mandate. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.), who led […]
More state grant funds are being distributed to nursing homes in Minnesota, as part of a $173.5 million initiative. In 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is also the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and the state legislature, signed off on a $300 million bipartisan package to address the crisis facing nursing homes across the state. […]
A battle is underway in Wisconsin over whether pandemic relief funds can be diverted to increase Medicaid reimbursements to long-term care providers. Gov. Tony Evers recently proposed using $258 million in pandemic relief to increase Medicaid reimbursements for long-term care providers, a move previously blocked by a Republican budget-writing committee, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. […]
As the newly announced Democratic vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz brings a record of supporting nursing homes from his tenure as Minnesota’s governor. As governor since 2019, Walz demonstrated a strong commitment to the sector by securing $173 million in funding to nursing homes and long-term care facilities in August 2023. This financial support was directed […]
As the number of older adults in long-term care facilities grows, challenges such as increasing resident disputes are leading to a greater need for ombudsman staff and volunteers, according to policymakers. To that end, new legislation aimed at improving the ombudsman program was introduced this week by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.). […]
Over 50 lawmakers from both chambers of Congress are urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase scrutiny and regulation of artificial intelligence tools used by Medicare Advantage plans. In a letter addressed to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the legislators expressed deep concerns over the use of AI algorithms by MA plans […]
Low pay and inadequate benefits are the drivers of high turnover and burnout among direct care workers in long-term care, including nursing homes, resulting in a staggering shortfall in care hours required versus those actually delivered, according to a new report. The report released Tuesday and produced by the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), in […]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) on Thursday announced that a draft bill is underway that, if enacted, would bring unprecedented reforms for hospice payment and oversight. The draft bill comes as more skilled nursing operators expand their hospice offerings, including by launching their own hospice businesses or more closely partnering with existing hospice providers. Blumenauer announced […]
The joint resolutions introduced under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the minimum staffing rule have enough votes in both the Senate and the House, and could pass. This is according to at least two news outlets, including The Hill and Axios. “The Senate measure, led by Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) […]
Nursing home leaders convened in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to present a unified stance against the federal staffing mandate, which they argue could exacerbate existing challenges in long-term care facilities. The gathering follows a Congressional Briefing by American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) at the week’s start, and saw key figures from […]
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