States continue to take action on addressing wage disparities for nursing home staff even as the industry undergoes massive shifts marked by economic, operational and regulatory changes. Skilled nursing facility staff, as well as other health care workers in California, will slowly see their hourly wage increase to $25 over the next decade under a […]
Category: Medicaid
More than a week after updates to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) went into effect, each section change seems to be emphasizing focus on the resident’s voice, which along with substantial coding changes – four years in the making – will require time to incorporate, experts said. Kevin Cezat, director of clinical excellence for Therapy […]
Ahead of the upcoming Minimum Data Set (MDS) changes on Oct. 1, the preparation of clinicians is mixed and may have a lot to do with company size and regional market, along with resources to stay apprised of reimbursement updates. Many clinicians feel stressed and overwhelmed by the adjustments, with some playing catchup to the […]
More than 280,000 residents, or nearly a quarter of all residents, could be impacted by the staffing mandate – if nursing home operators have no choice but to reduce their census in order to meet hourly requirements. The proposed federal mandate would require an estimated 102,154 additional full-time employees. That’s 80,077 certified nursing assistants (CNAs) […]
Fewer than one in five facilities would currently meet the required number of hours for RNs and CNAs as set forth in the federal minimum staffing proposal, with more than 80% of the facilities nationwide needing to hire more nursing staff. This is according to an analysis published by KFF on Monday. Interestingly, almost half […]
A big question that operators must ask themselves when considering involvement in an institutional special needs plan, or I-SNP, is ultimately wrapped up in how much money is being made on the Medicare Part B therapy side, some say. It might not make financial sense to sign up for an I-SNP if a SNF operator […]
Some nursing homes are seeing “significantly more” audits tied to managed care and dual plan Medicaid claims in certain states – and potentially could see the same from Medicare too. This is all on top of an improper payment probe the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting for Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) […]
Nursing home occupancy continues to slowly improve, a trend that along with higher reimbursement rates going forward, will improve the bottom line for Sabra Healthcare REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA), according to executives. Rick Matros, CEO of Sabra, said during the company’s second quarter earnings call on Tuesday that he expects a large increase to next year’s […]
While staffing shortages continue to create admission roadblocks, the demand for skilled nursing care is recovering. From April to May, SNF occupancy decreased 3 basis points to end at 81%, according to the latest skilled nursing monthly report released by NIC MAP Vision. Pre-pandemic occupancy was 88.9%. Still, occupancy is up 97 basis points compared […]
Nursing home operators can expect a long comment period once the federal minimum staffing mandate comes out, potentially drawing out into the following year before anything is finalized. Barry Port, CEO of the Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG), said during the company’s second quarter conference call on Friday, that this is the tiniest bit of clarity […]
Leaders at nursing homes could create long-term value for their organizations if they adopted a population health focus, empowered local leaders and pursued actively value-based purchasing models. That’s according to a report published by CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) earlier this month. In an industry facing seismic changes, SNF operators should seize strategic opportunities, empower local leadership, and […]
Ahead of the federal nursing home minimum staffing ratio proposal, a KFF analysis released Friday suggests that less than a third of the nation’s nursing homes would even come close to meeting forthcoming minimum staffing requirements. The analysis from KFF found nearly all facilities would meet a 2.5 or fewer hour per resident day (HPRD) […]
Rising acuity at nursing homes has meant a greater need for the presence of various clinical specialties at facilities. But navigating better interdisciplinary team care is a complicated matter, made more so with staffing shortages, tighter regulation and lower reimbursements. As the needs of the nursing home population continue to evolve, many providers believe it’s […]
While many states have enacted long-anticipated Medicaid rebasing, some nursing home leaders say it’s too little too late. States like Iowa, with smaller facilities largely run by independent owners, are seeing closures despite receiving $15 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates beginning July 1. Reality has hit many such independent owners, according to Michael Beal, […]
Owners, operators and landlords of Centers Health Care in New York are facing a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, which alleges the four SNFs illegally misused more than $83 million in taxpayer money. Diverted funds went toward, among other things, funding the purchase of Israeli airline El Al, according […]
Mergers & acquisitions activity is expected to remain “exorbitant,” and “voluminous” in the second half of the year for the nursing home industry despite higher interest rates, with transfer times slowed slightly by state regulations. This is the view held by industry brokers who spoke to Skilled Nursing News on the state of current deal […]
United Church Homes (UCH), which provides a range of care and services to older adults in skilled nursing centers and other settings, is making a value-based care play that involves health plan provider CareSource. Ohio-based UCH and Metta Healthcare, the parent company of Ohio’s Hospice and Pure Healthcare, are forming a new nonprofit entity called […]
As acuity continues to rise among nursing home residents, providers say reimbursement needs to change too – and not just the dollar amount. Incentives should be based on quality of care, and the industry will need to build out specific reimbursement models to match expanded acuity specialities, especially as value-based care becomes more and more […]
As promised, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late Monday released virtual training on updated guidance for the Minimum Data Set (MDS). The agency initially announced plans for training sessions during an open door forum in March. Part one consists of pre-recorded training webinars to deliver foundational knowledge on changes coming Oct. 1. […]
As the public health emergency expires today – along with crucial waivers for skilled nursing providers – CareTrust REIT (Nasdaq: CTRE) says some of its tenants could potentially be impacted while others see it as a nonevent. CareTrust CEO David Sedgwick said his team continues to watch Medicaid rebasing closely as the PHE era 6.25% […]
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