The federal government on Tuesday finalized a rule that allows skilled nursing operators to use arbitration agreements with their residents, while also proposing a new rule to reduce paperwork burdens that would delay certain aspects of the Requirements of Participation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) struck something of a compromise with the […]
Five-star nursing homes in the state of New York are less likely to admit low-income residents than one-star facilities in the state, according to an investigation by The Buffalo News published on Sunday. Using data from the state Department of Health (DOH) from 2017, the publication found that those who enter New York nursing homes […]
Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delayed action on a bill that would have given skilled nursing facilities in the state roughly $1 million in additional Medicaid funding over the next two-year state budget, which drew criticism from Republican legislators in the state. The news was first reported by the Sun Journal last week Republicans in the state […]
Adam Boehler will leave his position as the chief of the federal government’s top incubator for new payment models after an appointment to another office. President Trump late Wednesday nominated Boehler — who has served as director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) since April 2018 — to become the CEO of […]
Several states across the U.S. have eyed managed long-term services and supports as a way to reduce their Medicaid spend, but the state of New York — which made the move in the early part of the decade — is now taking a step back. Specifically, the Empire State is looking to move the long-term […]
While governments and payers increasingly incentivize the provision of long-term care at home instead of in skilled nursing facilities, data about outcomes remains few and far between — with one group of researchers finding that some high-acuity patients fare worse in the community setting. Based on 2012 claims data, a team from the University of […]
The state of Oklahoma has had the dubious distinction of ranking near the bottom in both Medicaid reimbursemenst for skilled nursing facilities and in the quality of care provided at those facilities. But legislation recently enacted by the Sooner State aims to change that, by bolstering reimbursement for SNFs — if they can make improvements […]
A workgroup authorized by the state of New York predicted dire outcomes for the Empire State’s skilled nursing facilities in a statement and recommendations delivered to various state departments on Friday. In the statement, the Nursing Home Acuity Workgroup described the planned change in methodology as “using unrepresentative resident assessment data.” Specifically, the state Department […]
In an unusual alliance, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 1199 joined with Genesis HealthCare (NYSE: GEN) administrators in Connecticut on Thursday to stave off the closure of several skilled nursing facilities in the state due to low occupancy. Under a provision in Connecticut’s biennial budget, nursing homes that have an occupancy rate below […]
The state of New York is proposing a change in the way it calculates the case mix that sets Medicaid reimbursements for skilled nursing facilities — with the goal of realizing $246 million in net savings. If it is finalized, that could mean a significant cut in Medicaid reimbursements for nursing home providers in the […]
Medicaid-rate shortfalls and other struggles have claimed more than 30 nursing homes in Washington state since 2010, and at least one lawmaker thinks that the pruning is necessary. State Rep. Eileen Cody, who chairs the state’s House Health Care and Wellness Committee, said a drop in available nursing homes beds is “what we wanted as […]
Amid the macro-level shift of care from institutions to the home, adult day providers are positioning themselves as an in-between option for caregivers and their families — as well as direct competitors to skilled nursing facilities. In the last six years alone, the number of adult day providers in the United States has doubled, according […]
Officials in New York State have offered a $27 million grant to a non-profit that can help transition nursing home residents into home- and community-based settings. The state’s Department of Health invited qualifying non-profits to submit their ideas for administering a Transition Center program, according to the official request for proposals (RFP). Crain’s New York […]
Adding behavioral health services has frequently been floated as a way that nursing homes can diversify their offerings and attract new residents — particularly as demand for the treatment of depression and other mental health issues continues to grow among older Americans. But a significant swath of operators report persistent challenges in caring for residents […]
Nursing home operators in one of the toughest states for Medicaid reimbursements will receive a $240 million reprieve in the next fiscal year. Illinois lawmakers approved the funding boost as part of the state’s most recent budget, which Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Wednesday; Capitol News Illinois initially reported the nursing home windfall […]
The skilled nursing industry has — with good reason — thrown much of its energy and focus onto the challenges of the Medicare reimbursement overhaul taking effect on October 1 of this year. But according to one prominent industry leader, the challenges of Medicaid pose a far greater threat to providers — particularly as the […]
The receiver in charge of the Covington Care and Rehabilitation skilled nursing facility — formerly operated by the troubled Skyline Healthcare chain — in Sioux Falls, S.D., will pursue plans to close the property. “After careful assessment and evaluation, the receiver has made the very difficult decision to propose a plan to close Covington,” Black […]
The Texas Legislature failed to pass two bills that would have provided Medicaid reimbursement relief for skilled nursing providers before the end of its most recent session. That could spell trouble for providers in the Lone Star State, which already has a notably low Medicaid reimbursement rate, according to Kevin Warren, president and CEO of […]
Among the many skilled nursing landmines — from a new Medicare payment system to underfunded Medicaid programs to a shifting regulatory landscape — providers would be wise not to ignore the ongoing effects of bundled payment programs. In fact, at the end of a recent discussion on his research into the cost-savings successes and failures […]
Skilled nursing utilization and occupancy have been on the decline in recent years, as both payers and consumers migrate to home health and other community care options for cost and preference reasons. But as low Medicaid reimbursements force operators to scale back their long-term services or shut their doors entirely, available beds for residents who […]
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