Opioid prescription decreased among nursing homes between 2011 and 2022, reflecting national patterns in primary care while also possibly being an overcorrection tied to opioid-related reduction guidelines dating back to 2016. While some nursing home residents may have benefited from opioid reductions, others may have faced barriers to adequate pain control, according to a report […]
Category: Original Story
Starting in January, falling prices for costly drugs may strain long-term care pharmacies, but proposed legislation backed by advocacy groups aims to subsidize some of this loss. And nursing home advocacy groups are among those urging Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act. The solution the bill proposes is a […]
By Kristin Carroll Increased resident satisfaction is the top benefit that nursing home providers are hoping to achieve by implementing more technology in their dining and environmental services. That’s according to a survey of nursing home providers conducted by Skilled Nursing News in early summer 2025. The survey focused on strategies for managing environmental, dining, […]
By Kristin Carroll Ignite Medical Resorts is bucking industry trends by bringing newly constructed skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to market. The organization recently opened a newly constructed SNF in St. Peters, Missouri, and is set to open another new facility in Batavia, Illinois, on Sept. 18. The Batavia location brings Ignite to 28 locations across […]
By Kristin Carroll Skilled nursing facilities can leverage the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to provide more palliative care to people near the end of life, helping to drive value-based care goals while improving the patient experience. However, much more needs to be done on the policy level to disrupt the current status quo, in […]
By Kristin Carroll When skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) outsource environmental, housekeeping and dining services, compliance and survey readiness is the most important consideration in selecting a vendor partner – while the resident dining experience is the area that is in most need of improvement. That’s according to recently conducted research from Skilled Nursing News, which […]
The final Minimum Data Set (MDS) item sets and matrix for nursing homes were released late Friday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This version of the MDS will go into effect Oct. 1 and includes policies finalized in the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment Schedule (SNF PPS) final rule. The biggest […]
Nursing homes are still facing a staffing shortage despite gains made by individual operators, with certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in particular leaving the labor force because of lack of support services and career advancement, requiring “immediate and sustained action,” according to a study first published in The Gerontologist. The CNA shortage threatens quality of care […]
Nursing and residential care facilities saw an increase of 3,435 jobs in July, a slow increase compared to 3,429 added jobs in June and 3,417 jobs in May. The sector saw more jobs added compared to the same month last year, with 3,321 jobs added in July 2024, according to the employment situation news release […]
With Medicaid already falling short of covering the cost of care in nursing homes, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will exacerbate a lot of issues already seen in the sector, driving providers to close, reducing access to services and worsening the workforce shortage. Nursing home association LeadingAge and operator A.G. Rhodes joined Sen. […]
Rural nursing homes and hospitals are at risk of shutting down as a result of Medicaid cuts outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). At a regional level, Northwest Pennsylvania residents may find themselves driving further for care, with 15 nursing homes and five hospitals facing potential closure, according to a report from […]
Across various states where Genesis operates, the fallout from the nursing home giant’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy has led state lawmakers to scrutinize involvement of private equity firms more closely. In Pennsylvania, where Genesis is headquartered, it has the largest footprint, with 42 of its 175 facilities located in the state. Governor Josh Shapiro, who has […]
Staffing shortages have led providers to limit admissions – most commonly in Skilled Nursing units – with 25% of single-site communities and 18% of multi-sites affected, according to the latest July 2025 Ziegler CFO Hotline survey. The survey offers a glimpse into staffing trends, vacancy and turnover rates, reliance on agency staff, as well strategies […]
Editor’s note: President Donald Trump signed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law Friday, a day after it was narrowly passed by Congress. The House passed the reconciliation bill on Thursday with the Senate-passed version largely intact. While the bill included some nursing home-friendly provisions – such as a 10-year delay on […]
A repeal of the nursing home staffing mandate could have been among several provisions in the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that would have been subject to a 60-vote threshold if it were to remain in the bill by the time the Senate took a vote on it this week. However, the 10-year moratorium on […]
Nursing home and continuing care retirement community (CCRC) spending through 2033 is expected to jump up to $385.9 billion, compared to $192.9 billion in 2022. That’s a steady increase projected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group. Moreover, authors of the national health expenditure projections […]
An activist investor of National Health Investors (NYSE: NHI) issued an assessment Tuesday that one of NHI’s largest tenants – National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE: NHC) – could lose 19% to 38% of its earnings under any lease renewal scenario with NHI. According to Land & Buildings Investment Management, which is a significant shareholder of NHI, […]
While Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made improvements following previous recommendations from the Medicare Advisory Commission (MedPAC), the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and the value-based purchasing program still suffer from “design flaws,” according to the organization. MedPAC is calling attention to what it perceives as design flaws in the programs, including incentives […]
Allegations against UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) that it secretly paid nursing homes in order to reduce hospital transfers of residents under its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are leading lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to increase calls for a federal investigation. Last week, UnitedHealth filed a defamation lawsuit against the Guardian newspaper – whose […]
Proposed Medicaid cuts are spurring widespread concern among nursing home providers, as reductions would severely impact care quality, staffing, and facility operations. Activity on the Hill and a new report puts the spotlight on potential impact to stakeholders. About 92% of providers are concerned about further Medicaid cuts, according to a May report from the […]
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