CMS Hits 1,400 Nursing Homes with One-Star Reviews Over Staffing Concerns

Less than a month after a New York Times story revealed concerns about insufficient nursing home staffing levels, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) handed out nearly 1,400 one-star reviews. Last week, when CMS updated its Five-Star Quality Rating System for nursing homes, 1,387 facilities received one-star ratings for staffing coverage, according to […]

Skilled Nursing Must-Reads: Lawmaker-Owned Operators, VA Rankings

In a week that saw more evidence of occupancy pressures for operators, smart assistants helping employees multitask at a New York skilled nursing facility, and a mixed outlook for the new therapy payment system, here are some stories that you may have missed along the way. Conflicts of Interest Among Lawmakers Who Own Nursing Homes […]

Florida Operators Face Stiff Competition, Steep Costs to Meet Emergency Rules

As the Atlantic hurricane season kicks off, skilled nursing providers in Florida have been working to meet the requirements of the state’s new nursing home generator law. There have been hurdles along the way. The law, first proposed in the wake of the deaths that followed Hurricane Irma at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, became […]

Azar Touts PDPM But Warns ‘Entrenched Players’ of Challenges Ahead

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday trumpeted the new payment model for skilled nursing facilities in a speech before a prominent trade group, positioning the plan as one piece of a larger change in the way the government pays for health care. The new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) incorporates the dual goals […]

Revenue Will Decline Under New Model, But Nimble Rehab Providers Can Thrive

Though the skilled nursing landscape under the latest proposed payment model remains unseen, rehabilitation and therapy companies are preparing now for the changes to come. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is expected to incentivize skilled nursing facilities to take on more medically complex patients, and could provide a […]

Background Check Law for Nursing Home Owners Creates Questions

The state of Georgia this month implemented a new background check law for nursing home owners, who will now be subject to the same requirements as frontline caregivers and other employees who interact with residents. But the threshold for who qualifies as an owner remains unclear. Employees, owners, and administrators will be required to undergo fingerprint […]

State Law Shows Increased Scrutiny of Low-Profile Skilled Nursing Buyers

The state of Vermont recently enacted sweeping changes to the way government officials regulate the nursing home industry, with an eye on scrutinizing out-of-state buyers. Starting July 1, the state’s Agency of Human Services will oversee all nursing home ownership transfers, taking over the responsibility from the Green Mountain Care Board, according to a Thursday […]

Proposed Medicare Change Would Create Long-Term Care Benefit

A federal lawmaker on Wednesday rolled out a plan to provide a long-term care benefit as part of Medicare, citing the aging U.S. population and skyrocketing costs. Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, unveiled the Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports (LTSS) Act, a discussion draft of a bill that would expand Medicare coverage […]

CMS Overhauls Skilled Nursing Payment Plan, Increases Rate by $850 Million

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday unveiled a new proposed model for skilled nursing reimbursements that the agency says will save providers $2 billion over the next decade. The proposed Resident Classification System, Version I (RCS-I) is out, and the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is in, with an effective start […]

Seniors Increasingly Open to Medical Marijuana Use

An overwhelming majority of older Americans support the use of marijuana as directed by a doctor — despite significant barriers to medically supervised cannabis in long-term care. About 80% of adults aged 50 to 80 told a team from the University of Michigan and AARP that they either strongly or somewhat support doctor-overseen pot use, […]

Bacteria Has Nursing Home Facing Down a $278M Fix

A recurring Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at an Illinois nursing home for veterans has caused deaths, lawsuits, and political trouble for Gov. Bruce Rauner. And now a preliminary report shows that fixing the problem at the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy could stick the state with a hefty bill. Task forces convened by the Rauner administration […]

Walmart’s Health Push: First Home Health, Then Skilled Nursing?

Rumors that Walmart (NYSE: WMT) may be interested in acquiring a major health insurance provider — and soon-to-be home health care operator — shook up the long-term care industry last week. And at least one observer says there’s no reason why the retail giant’s reach can’t expand to the skilled nursing industry. The Bentonville, Ark.-based […]

Behavioral Health a Barrier to High-Quality Nursing Care

As behavioral health becomes an increasing topic of national discussion, a new study reveals that patients with mental health issues are statistically less likely to be admitted at higher-quality skilled nursing facilities. Led by Helena Temkin-Greener, professor emeritus at the University of Rochester’s Department of Public Health Sciences, a team of researchers set out to […]

Instead of Saving $1.7 Billion, ACOs Cost Medicare $384 Million

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are supposed to represent an innovative way to cut costs and improve care. But a new study found that on at least one of those counts, ACOs may be doing more harm than good. The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) increased federal spending by $384 million between 2013 and 2016, according […]

OIG: More Than 60% of Therapy Claims Don’t Meet Medicare Requirements

More than 60% of outpatient therapy claims filed over a six-month period didn’t meet Medicare’s requirements — a figure that has a key government watchdog agency concerned. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) looked at a representative sample of 300 Medicare therapy claims filed in the final […]

Florida’s Nursing Home Generator Rule Finally Becomes Law

After months of legal wrangling and strong feelings on both sides, the state of Florida has finally enshrined its emergency power rules for skilled nursing facilities into law. Gov. Rick Scott on Monday signed a pair of bills that will require SNFs and assisted living facilities to have generators capable of maintaining a temperature of […]

Skilled Nursing Must-Reads: A Nursing Home for Parolees

Start your week with a look at some of the most interesting skilled nursing stories from around the web, including a SNF with a unique clientele in Connecticut. SNF that serves parolees wins case A skilled nursing facility that serves prison parolees in the suburbs of Hartford, Conn. won a court ruling this week against […]

Senators Issue Bipartisan Call to Move Away from Fee-For-Service Medicare

A pair of United States senators asked new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to focus on developing alternative payment models for Medicare — while moving away from traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare. “As the largest purchaser of health care in the United States, the federal government needs to send a strong signal that paying […]

Skilled Nursing Must-Reads: Mainstreet Troubles, Generator Rule

Lost in a flurry of news from the National Investment Centers for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) Spring Investment Forum and harsh funding recommendations from MedPAC, here are some of the stories we couldn’t cover earlier in the week to help get you ready for the one ahead. Mainstreet hits another snag A week after […]