Just when it seemed like the skilled nursing industry had enough potential issues on its plate for 2018 — potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, ongoing reimbursement pressures, and staffing woes — the historically healthy stock market took a major tumble. Sabra Health Care REIT (NASDAQ: SBRA), Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR), and other health care […]
Morningside Ministries, a not-for-profit organization in San Antonio, Texas, that provides senior housing and care services, closed its Chandler Estate nursing home rather than risk lowering the quality of care under pressure from the state’s Medicaid system. The nursing home is slated to lock its doors this month, according to the San Antonio Express-News. And Morningside […]
Consumers are using the Five-Star Quality Rating System to make decisions about skilled nursing care — and there could be a major financial incentive for providers to earn that extra star. Adding a single star to a skilled nursing facility’s rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) boosts admissions in many cases, […]
After a combative confirmation process, the United States Senate has confirmed Alex Azar as the second Department of Health and Human Services secretary in the Trump administration. Azar, a former pharmaceutical executive with Eli Lilly & Co., received a 55-43 vote of support from the U.S. Senate, with six Democrats defecting from the pack to […]
Though the federal government officially shut down early Saturday morning, skilled nursing and other long-term care operators have little reason to worry about reimbursements — at least for the time being. Medicare and Veterans Affairs-related reimbursements must continue even if the government suspends discretionary spending, as these programs are mandatory. In addition, because state governments […]
A group of five nursing home providers sued the state of Illinois late last week in federal court, claiming that low Medicaid reimbursement rates in the Land of Lincoln could force them to shut down. The companies specifically accuse Felicia F. Norwood, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, of violating federal […]
A federal judge last week threw out a $350 million False Claims Act judgment against a Florida nursing home provider, writing that its occasionally inaccurate record-keeping didn’t amount to deliberate fraud. In a fiery ruling, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday wrote that the claims brought by a whistleblower against Salus Rehabilitation, LLC — namely […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday introduced a new alternative payment model, the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced). The model, coming out of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, is a voluntary bundled payment program that enables participants to earn additional payments for a beneficiary’s episode of care if quality is maintained […]
The free market alone might not be enough to boost skilled nursing facility (SNF) quality, according to a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. The paper, “Incentivizing Better Quality of Care: The Role of Medicaid and Competition in the Nursing Home Industry,” simulated the effects of policies in Pennsylvania that either raised regulated Medicaid […]
President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday again expressed some support for the idea of converting Medicaid to a block-grant program, though he cautioned that any solution is still far in the future. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Alex Azar said he can “find a lot of […]
Fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare has been increasingly de-emphasized in favor of newer payment models such as Medicare Advantage (MA), but a new study in the journal Health Affairs suggests that FFS might provide better skilled-nursing choices for its beneficiaries. “Even after accounting for the quality of nursing homes in a geographic area and the quality of Medicare Advantage […]
Senior officials from skilled nursing and other health care companies are approaching 2018 confident in their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategies, according to a survey conducted by Capital One Financial Corporation. Among those surveyed, exactly 50% identify M&A as their primary growth strategy in 2018 — a substantial growth compared to last year’s survey, where […]
Louisiana nursing homes are getting most of the state’s Medicaid dollars over home care providers, according to a recent story on Business Report. But that’s not for lack of demand for home care services. The state currently has a backlog of around 31,000 Medicaid applicants for home-based care. “Across the country, we have had this issue of an […]
Now that we’ve broken down the top 10 stories of the last year, it’s time for us to dive into our predictions for the top skilled nursing trends of the coming 12 months. Some key headwinds, such as questions over Medicaid reimbursements, declining occupancy, and new regulations — including the final round of the requirements […]
In case you’ve been blissfully away from your e-mail since before Christmas, here’s a quick rundown of the skilled nursing headlines you missed. QCP Cuts ManorCare a Break Quality Care Properties, Inc. (NYSE: QCP) gave its troubled tenant HCR ManorCare a generous Boxing Day present, announcing a one-year rent cut in a December 26 filing […]
The skilled nursing industry faces an existential crisis over its future, and 2017 was a year filled with threats — financial and regulatory woes at top providers, plummeting occupancy, and continued reimbursement pressures. But it was also a year that saw promising research illustrating the utility of SNF care and successes in new payment models, […]
Pennsylvania has unveiled a new Medicaid feature designed to reduce the number of nursing home enrollees in years to come. Under the Community HealthChoices initiative, insurers will be paid to manage Medicaid’s long-term care services with a financial incentive meant to prioritize in-home care for enrollees. The state is rolling out the program in 14 southwestern counties […]
Overall spending on skilled nursing care slowed in 2016, according to the most recent report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In all, payers spent $162.7 billion on care at nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), an increase of 2.9% from 2015. That’s slower than the 3.7% growth between 2014 […]
Post-acute concerns could be a thorn in the side of non-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) operators next year. Citing industry-wide declines in census, admissions, and revenues amid changing payment models, Fitch Ratings, Inc. identified skilled rehabilitation care as a main concern for non-profit CCRCs in an otherwise sunny report about the state of the industry issued […]
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are built on a basic premise: By working together, providers across the health care continuum can save Medicare money and boost quality. But the largest share of the savings may simply come from shifting patients out of skilled nursing and home health settings, a new study suggests — and not on […]
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