A Tennessee-based skilled nursing provider this week agreed to pay the federal government $18 million in order to resolve claims of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Vanguard Healthcare, LLC of Brentwood, Tenn. — along with several of its affiliated firms — reached the deal with the Department of Justice, which accused the provider of providing “grossly […]
Category: Medicaid
Skilled nursing facilities are familiar with the headaches of dealing with managed Medicare. But the rise of managed Medicaid could cause just as many headaches for providers — if not pose outright threats to their financial wellbeing. That’s according to a panel of experts at the National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Care (NIC) […]
Public-private partnerships will form the basis of comprehensive Medicare reform as the baby boom population ages, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan predicted Thursday morning in remarks at a major skilled nursing and senior housing industry conference. “I believe the future for Medicare is in the Medicare Advantage type of space,” Ryan, a Wisconsin […]
Total spending on nursing care facilities will grow by 5.4% through 2027, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — but that figure still lags behind the rate increase for home health agencies. Overall spending on medical care at skilled nursing facilities and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) […]
Nursing homes in Wisconsin are blaming the state’s low Medicaid reimbursements for a wave of nursing home closures and persistent financial struggles, Wisconsin Public Radio reported earlier this month. Nursing home advocates are asking lawmakers in the state to invest $83.5 million in the next two-year budget as a result, the media organization reported. The […]
A consulting firm that offers services across the health care spectrum sees opportunity for growth in skilled nursing, though the leader of its SNF practice believes that the industry must expand beyond short-term rehab to survive. The Wayne, Penn.-based McBee plans to look at both hires and potential acquisitions as it tries to bolster its […]
Three bills in the Oklahoma Legislature would increase funding for skilled nursing facilities while mandating a staffing increase, adding the Sooner State to a growing list of U.S. states that are trying to address funding shortfalls for nursing homes. The Oklahoman reported the news. On average, the state pays about $23 less than the cost […]
Nursing homes in the state of South Dakota are facing a $42 million annual shortfall in Medicaid reimbursement, which has led to the closure of several facilities. Without an increase, industry leaders said, the closings could lead to “statewide disaster.” The Argus Leader first reported the story. Nine nursing facilities have already closed, two are […]
Programs for Americans aged 65 and older will account for nearly half of all the federal government’s non-interest spending in the next decade, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office found, as the baby boom population continues to age into both Medicare and certain Medicaid benefits. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending will balloon […]
Low Medicaid reimbursements in Massachusetts have put skilled nursing facilities in the state on the brink of “colossal collapse,” according to a deep dive from the Telegram & Gazette published on Saturday. In the past year, 20 SNFs in the Bay State closed, and more than half of the state’s 401 skilled nursing providers are […]
A plan to fundamentally change the way the federal government funds Medicaid — which could lead to hundreds of billions in cuts — may be back on the table after seemingly dying two years ago. The Trump administration is currently mulling ways to convert Medicaid to a block-grant system, Politico reported late last week, reviving […]
The growth in overall spending on nursing homes in the United States slowed for the second consecutive year in 2017, according to the latest analysis from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — while Medicare Advantage spending skyrocketed. All payers spent $166.3 billion at nursing care facilities and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) […]
An extended battle between a now-defunct nursing home operator and the state of Maryland reached a conclusion this week with a $2.2 million settlement. Neiswanger Management Services (NMS) agreed to pay that amount to dismiss allegations that it had improperly discharged Medicare residents and falsely billed the state’s Medicaid program, Maryland Medical Assistance. Back in […]
Increases in long-term care costs contributed to an overall boost in Medicaid spending during fiscal 2018, and a leading health policy non-profit warns that 2019 could be a pivotal year for the program. “FY 2019 will be a year to watch how Medicaid’s role evolves on the ground in the 50 states and D.C.,” the […]
Investors frequently point to “headline risk” as a reason to beware the skilled nursing space, typically referring to the kinds of negative press that arise due to natural disasters and lapses in care for vulnerable seniors. But a top executive at the nation’s largest skilled nursing real estate investment trust (REIT) says the prolonged staffing […]
Nursing home providers typically operate on razor-thin margins, but a new study suggests that the Medicaid program may be overpaying operators by billions of dollars per year. A pair of economists from the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Georgia this month published an extensive analysis of Medicaid spending in nursing homes, […]
Several small cities in Oklahoma now hold the licenses to operate dozens of nursing homes in the state, in the hopes of getting funds from a federal bonus payment program offered through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Oklahoma Watch reported this week. Licenses for 46 nursing homes in the state are now owned by […]
It’s unlikely that the state of Washington intended to put its skilled nursing facilities on the brink of disaster when it overhauled its Medicaid system in 2016, but leaders of both LeadingAge Washington and the Washington Health Care Association (WHCA) said that’s exactly what has occurred as providers across the state try to keep their […]
Illinois could be on the hook for approximately $300 million in nursing care expenses due to a backlog in determining residents’ Medicaid eligibility — all while the state’s providers have been footing the bill in the interim. The Office of Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza released a report Thursday that found a sizable logjam of pending Medicaid […]
As referral networks narrow and skilled nursing providers feel increased pressure to prove their worth to hospitals and doctors, one government agency says residents still frequently miss the highest-quality options in their own areas. In its most recent report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) asserts that many hospitals discharge post-acute care patients […]
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