American Healthcare REIT’s (NYSE: AHR) third financial quarter was defined by executing on several key initiatives that have set up the company for future growth. Moreover, leaders unpacked Medicare Advantage contract negotiations and shared plans for staff training among its operating partners, including Trilogy REIT Holdings. One such initiative involved Irvine, Calif.-based AHR acquiring its […]
Fewer than 20% of evaluated nursing homes made the list of “Best Nursing Homes” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Nursing Homes rankings, out of nearly 15,000 facilities in the country. This includes those providing short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, or both. And, nearly half of nursing homes didn’t comply with federal regulation to […]
Finance and operator voices alike are cautiously optimistic about prospects for the nursing home sector as the Trump administration prepares to enter the White House in January, alongside a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate that has historically been sympathetic to nursing home issues. When it comes to the federal minimum staffing mandate, Cascadia Healthcare’s […]
The long-term financial viability of nursing homes will be seriously challenged as operators face the fallout from the complete wind down of public health emergency (PHE) funds. This is especially true for nonprofit organizations, with many facilities unable to fund existing staffing levels. According to a report published in Health Affairs Covid-19 PHE funds allowed […]
Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) executives remained optimistic about occupancy growth, although ongoing staffing pressures at partner nursing homes in certain states contributed to bottlenecks at hospitals. The Maryland-based real estate investment trust (REIT) reported a strong third quarter, with executives touting a strong investment pipeline amid a flurry of dealmaking for the sector at […]
While prior authorization has a legitimate role in Medicare Advantage coverage, the practice has expanded to the point of negatively affecting care. This aspect of MA needs to be right sized, and likely through legislation, nursing home leaders said. About 90%-plus of physicians, including those serving nursing home patients, have said that one or more […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) overstepped its authority in finalizing the federal nursing home staffing mandate, which “cannot stand” and should be set aside swiftly by a judge. This is the argument that the American Health Care Association, LeadingAge and other plaintiffs made in a Motion for Summary Judgment filed on Oct. […]
The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) has a high-profile new board member. Mark Parkinson, who recently ended his tenure as CEO and president of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), is joining Ensign’s board as its ninth director. “I am beyond grateful for the many incredible years I had to associate with […]
A new study on Medicaid payment rates from 44 states shows Medicaid payment rates among nursing homes on average don’t adequately cover today’s costs. Meanwhile, higher staffing levels often correlate with lower Medicaid payment-to-cost ratios. And, nonprofits appear to have the lowest payment-to-cost ratio for Medicaid. Medicaid rates only covered bout 82 cents per every […]
A dire shortage of clinical care workers in the nursing home sector along with slower growth in the number of nursing care beds is leading to added concerns over access issues for long-term care in certain states in the coming decades. In Wisconsin, a recent study issued at the end of September by Forward Analytics, […]
Staffing shortages and increased acuity of patients are playing a big role in referral placement, along with preferences and prerequisites of referral sources. This is causing nursing homes and hospitals in high-demand areas to get creative with in-house offerings and hospital partnerships, as they are still experiencing bottlenecks in the referral process. At the same […]
Clifton J. Porter II kicked off his first day as president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living this week – the transition comes after Porter was tapped to take on the role in July. Former AHCA/NCAL leader Mark Parkinson led the organization for 14 years prior to […]
The number of states challenging the federal minimum staffing mandate has now grown to 21 states, after 20 states filed a joint lawsuit. As of Tuesday, Iowa’s attorney general was the latest to sue the Biden-Harris administration, challenging the nursing home federal minimum staffing mandate along with Kansas, Virginia, South Carolina, and other mostly Republican-led […]
Nursing homes looking to best utilize QAPI, or the quality assurance and performance improvement program, should think beyond the obvious clinical compliance and care benefits to residents. QAPI is usually seen as a way to reduce falls or tighten up medication management, but operators can do a lot more with the data besides using it […]
For some nursing homes, quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) meetings serve merely as a checkbox for requirements, but they haven’t driven changes to improve care quality outcomes. On the flip side, however, other nursing homes are effectively using QAPI meetings to push for success in quality of care. Executives at these facilities emphasize that […]
Nursing homes and hospitals are developing closer ties and improving communication, and with this trend, admissions into nursing homes are expected to increase as rehospitalizations and excessive lengths of stay are also seen as declining. With rising acuity and staffing shortages of recent years, nursing homes have often been reluctant in admitting challenging cases that […]
Longevity Health and Infinity Healthcare Consulting on Wednesday announced a joint venture for institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs), marking Longevity’s entry into three new states, along with the expansion of its existing business into an additional state. Longevity and Infinity’s clients will collaborate to assist I-SNP members living in Infinity nursing facilities across Indiana, Kentucky […]
Pennsylvania bankruptcy court late Monday approved the $53 million sale of nine nursing homes in the state to affiliates of Kadima Healthcare Group, as part of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings for more than a dozen facilities operating under Comprehensive Healthcare Management Solutions. Notably, transaction documents do not transfer assets to any insiders, affiliates, officers or […]
As states in Hurricane Helene’s path grapple with its devastating effects days after it made landfall in Florida Thursday evening, nursing home operators are dealing with significant repair and maintenance challenges that could last a while – particularly in states like North Carolina. Damage to transportation, power and utilities could make recovery in some states […]
In weathering the rise of managed care penetration – which has often meant lost profits – nursing homes are turning to centralized processes for handling claims, beefing up teams to handle additional documentation requests (ADRs), and closely tracking contract renewals. Rates for managed care plans like Medicare Advantage are often lower than traditional fee-for-service Medicare […]
