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 […]
The administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) placed nursing homes among her top areas of focus for the months to come, though she provided scant few other details during a wide-ranging press conference this week. “I’m spending a lot of time on nursing homes,” Seema Verma said in a Wednesday afternoon […]
Skilled nursing providers across the U.S. could be forgiven for feeling like they’re trapped in a word problem out of an algebra textbook when assessing the reimbursement for Medicaid patients — often the majority of residents inside a given facility. And despite some promising signs from the federal government, the coming changes to the Medicare […]
The looming specter of a strike at nursing homes in Connecticut has prompted leaders in the state to support increases to daily Medicaid rates for institutional care. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont this week expressed support for three Medicaid rate boosts through 2021, a move that the CT Mirror — which first reported the news — […]
The old adage says that you can’t fight City Hall — and if you’re a nursing home trying to survive amid insufficient Medicaid funding, you have more than just local officials to fight. Medicaid exists in a bureaucratic grey zone between the federal and state governments, requiring a coordinated pitch to state lawmakers and federal […]
Florida’s new Medicaid prospective payment system for nursing homes, which took effect in October of last year, has created winners and losers among properties across the state, according to a new analysis by the USA Today Network — Florida. The PPS is designed to incentivize and reward skilled nursing facilities that make improvements in care […]
For each of the last several years, LindenGrove Communities has lost a total of $5 million to $7 million caring for long-term residents covered by Medicaid — a shortfall that began to drag on the non-profit’s other business lines, including short-term rehabilitation. And though the choice was difficult, LindenGrove president and CEO Linda Joel said […]
A new long-term care benefit for residents of Washington state could ease some of the crippling Medicaid burdens on nursing home operators in the state. Starting in 2025, qualifying Washingtonians will have access to a $36,500 lifetime long-term care benefit, funded by a new 0.58% income tax set to take effect in 2022. The program, […]
Depending on the state they’re in, skilled nursing facilities could jolt flagging finances by adding a behavioral health component to their lineup of services. But they have to proceed carefully. Such services can bolster reimbursement significantly, while also creating additional pressure on hiring, staffing, and programming, according to providers presenting at the LTC 100 conference […]
Executives at Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) on Wednesday expressed optimism about the skilled nursing industry in the long term — and even believe that there’s some near-term upside amid payment increases from the federal government and new models of reimbursement on the horizon. In addition, leaders at the real estate investment trust (REIT) even […]
As a reporter and editor covering the skilled nursing industry, it’s safe to say that I’ve been in the PDPM business for the last year-plus — and business has been very good. The Patient-Driven Payment Model represents the most sweeping Medicare reimbursement change in more than two decades, and so far has provided industry leaders […]
Increasing numbers of states have begun exploring managed Medicaid programs as a means of achieving savings as their populations age. But unless officials provide crucial oversight, skilled nursing facilities could find themselves under even worse financial pressures. It’s something that states and their legislators need to keep in mind as they weigh options for managing […]
Industry leaders had reason to cheer the federal government’s decision to boost Medicare rates for skilled nursing facilities, but the gain could end up only papering over the persistent reimbursement problems in the space. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week proposed a 2.5% increase to the Medicare market basket rate, a […]
The federal government on Wednesday signaled its intent to expand coverage options for Americans who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, though the states will largely be in the driver’s seat moving forward. In a letter to the 50 state governors from administrator Seema Verma, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invited states […]
The state of Illinois bases its Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes on calculations that are years out of date, leading to financial pressures that have closed 20 facilities in the state since March 2014. That’s according to a new report commissioned by the nursing home advocacy group Health Care Council of Illinois (HCCI). Capitol News […]
Oklahoma moved one step closer to boosting Medicaid payments for skilled nursing facilities, with Senate Bill 280 ready to proceed to the Senate for final approval after some floor amendments. Tulsa World first reported the news. Oklahoma is proactively trying to bolster its Medicaid rate, which ranks among the lowest in the country. Several cities […]
Skilled nursing facilities in the state of Pennsylvania lose an estimated $631 million per year caring for Medicaid residents, with non-profits taking a particularly large share of the stress. The state’s 221 non-profit nursing facilities lose an average of $82.16 per patient day on Medicaid beneficiaries, according to an April analysis from LeadingAge PA and […]
The leader of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday announced a “comprehensive review” of safety and quality standards for nursing homes, while also touting the progress made in recent years. “CMS is not waiting, and not settling for the status quo: I have directed my team at CMS to undertake a […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week made a small policy change that could have a major beneficial impact for skilled nursing providers that rely on Medicaid. CMS updated its guidance for the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), indefinitely extending a key workaround for states that base Medicaid rates on the existing Medicare […]
When skilled nursing operator Daybreak Venture fell behind on its rent payments to Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE: OHI), the real estate investment trust touted a Texas supplemental payment program as one of the tools that would help the operator turn its fortunes around. It’s a Medicaid program similar to others in various states, and […]
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