CMS: Nursing Home Surveys To Incorporate Reporting of a Wider Set of Respiratory Illnesses

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo to surveyors on Tuesday stating that the expanded reporting requirements for acute respiratory illnesses, which the agency discussed at length during early December’s open door forum, should be incorporated into the survey process. The new requirements related to acute respiratory illnesses for nursing homes […]

Trump Picks Dr. Mehmet Oz to Head CMS

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Dr. Mehmet Oz, the renowned celebrity physician, to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The appointment was announced on Tuesday afternoon. “Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans, and crushes our Country’s budget. Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention, so […]

CMS Increases Scrutiny on Nursing Home Ownership by Seeking Mandatory Medicare Revalidation

Nursing homes must prepare for an off-cycle revalidation process being mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), or risk losing billing privileges. With the extra paperwork, CMS aims to enhance the accuracy and transparency of Medicare enrollment information amid new reporting requirements finalized in 2023. The revalidation notices will be dispatched by […]

As CMS Issues Draft Minimum Data Set for Nursing Homes Early, Experts Note Some ‘Helpful’ Sections

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) on Tuesday, and while the changes are minimal, clinical and reimbursement experts noted that they could lead to reduced control over certain quality reporting measures. However, the earlier-than-anticipated release also suggests that the federal agency aims to give operators a […]

Ziegler Closes $67.27M and $82.9M in Financing for Two Properties with Nursing Home Beds; Strawberry Fields Acquires 83-Bed Property for $6.7M  

Ziegler closed $67.27 million and $82.9 million in financing for two properties, each with skilled nursing assets, while Strawberry Fields acquired Mabry Health for $6.7 million. Strawberry Fields Acquires Mabry Health Care Strawberry Fields REIT (NYSE: STRW) announced the completion of a $6.7 million acquisition of a healthcare facility in Gainesboro, Tennessee.  The property, Mabry […]

ESI and SLIB Arrange Nursing Home Sales in Wisconsin and Texas; CIBC Provides $35M Refinancing

Brokerage firm Evans Senior Investments (ESI) facilitated the sale of county-owned Samaritan Health Center in West Bend, Wisconsin. An independent owner-operator was chosen as the buyer, upon county approval. Samaritan provides 186 beds, including 131 skilled nursing beds, 24 residential care apartments, and 31 assisted living beds. Samaritan faced several key challenges while on the […]

LeadingAge Joins as New Co-Plaintiff in Lawsuit to Overturn CMS Nursing Home Staffing Mandate

LeadingAge officially became a co-plaintiff with the American Health Care Association (AHCA) in a lawsuit to dismiss the government’s staffing mandate for nursing homes.  The association in early June decided to file to join AHCA’s lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) during a […]

State’s Workforce Funding Boost Yields Limited Results as Labor Pool Shrinks Due to Licensing, Training Issues

Many states have ramped up funding for nursing home staffing in recent years, and while the resulting increased wages and incentives have worked towards better retention, labor supply continues to be a problem.  For example, Illinois passed legislation to support staffing at nursing homes, including through provision of more than $700 million in funds annually […]

New Staffing Standards Could Reduce Capacity in New Hampshire Nursing Homes

The staffing mandate could significantly reduce the number of available nursing home beds in New Hampshire, according to reporting in the Concord Monitor. The regulations are causing concern among local nursing home administrators. “The impact of the rules could be that we close more beds,” Kathryn Kindopp, administrator of Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, told […]

Capital Funding Group Secures $20M Bridge-To-HUD Loan for Maryland Nursing Home; Touchstone Acquires 3 Texas Facilities

Capital Funding Group (CFG) secured a $20 million Bridge-to-HUD loan for the refinancing of a 125-bed skilled nursing facility located in Maryland. The transaction was finalized on March 29, 2024. “We’re excited to share the closing of this deal, as it rounded out a strong first quarter of executing financing on behalf of our clients […]

Dove Healthcare Adds 5 Skilled Nursing Facilities in Wisconsin; Regional Operator Buys 2 SNFs in East Texas

Expanding its presence across Wisconsin, Dove Healthcare, a post-acute and long-term care provider, is set to integrate five new locations into its network. Dove Healthcare’s assets will now consist of 10 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, five assisted living residences, and three independent living complexes. Dove Healthcare’s locations are in Barron, Bloomer, Chippewa Falls, Eau […]

Owner of Skilled Nursing Operator Skyline Pleads Guilty to $38M Fraud

Joseph Schwartz, the owner of Skyline Management Group LLC, has admitted his involvement in a massive $38 million employment tax fraud scheme. The scheme targeted nursing homes owned by Schwartz across the country.  Skyline, headquartered in Wood Ridge, N.J., once operated over more than 100 skilled nursing facilities across 11 states, providing care for over […]

MedPAC Advises Cutting Skilled Nursing Medicare Payment Rate by 3%

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is recommending that for fiscal year 2025, Congress should reduce the 2024 Medicare-based payment rates for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) by 3%, citing strong margin projections, occupancy growth and access to capital for the sector. “We project the SNF margins in 2024 to remain high even with the downward […]

DOJ Reopening Medicare Fraud Case Against Philip Esformes – Nursing Home Mogul Pardoned by Trump

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is attempting to reopen the case of nursing home mogul Philip Esformes – convicted of one of the biggest Medicare frauds in history – and whose 20-year sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump, and an article in Mother Jones magazine provides a deeper look into the case. Together with […]

Nursing Homes Face Unprecedented Challenges Amidst State-Specific Instability and Wage Pressure, With 15% Rise in Costs

The nursing home industry is undergoing a turbulent period marked by economic, operational and regulatory challenges, according to CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA). CLA’s latest report on the sector underlines the state-specific instability and disparities that are currently impacting SNFs. CLA researchers said over the past three years, there has been a steady rise in expenses at a […]

‘Frailty Levels’ Decline, Health Trajectory Improves After Nursing Home Stay for Acute Patients

Older adults experience a decline in vulnerability after moving into a skilled nursing facility, according to a new study. Conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, with funding from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC), the findings show that approximately three months after relocating, this vulnerability among older adults plateaus […]

WTWH Media Acquires HME Business and Mobility Management, Growing its Healthcare and Life Sciences Offerings

WTWH Media, LLC has announced the acquisition of HME Business and Mobility Management from 1105 Media, Inc. The two digital B2B media properties are focused on the home medical equipment industry and mobility professionals and rehabilitation suppliers and clinicians. These two additions build upon WTWH’s presence in the healthcare sector and further enhance its ability […]