The top officials who will shape the Biden administration’s health policy continue to emerge, as reports indicate that the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been locked in. Biden’s pick, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, was confirmed this week in a 55-44 Senate vote, with five Republicans supporting the confirmation, The New York […]
Affordable Care Act
The new proposed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget was released on Monday, and it’s a mixed bag for skilled nursing providers. President Trump’s spending blueprint would make changes to Medicaid by creating a “market-based health-care grant” that could fund programs in addition to the traditional Medicaid program — a change that would […]
President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday again expressed some support for the idea of converting Medicaid to a block-grant program, though he cautioned that any solution is still far in the future. Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Alex Azar said he can “find a lot of […]
Congressional Republicans may have failed at several attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and enact deep cuts to the Medicaid program, but at least one expert says long-term care providers shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. “I don’t think the states feel like Medicaid is safe right now, and I don’t think […]
After failing to pass health care reform earlier this year, Senate Republicans are at it again with a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The attempt has been dubbed “Zombie Trumpcare” as the effort to pass health care reform is back from the dead — and skilled nursing interest groups do not […]
Total U.S. demand for skilled nursing care is significantly higher than previously projected, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation. While previous research studies have consistently found that about 35% of older Americans will spend at least one night at a nursing home during their lifetimes, mirroring data from the Department of Health […]
The Senate’s proposed health care legislation, like the bill that passed the House, includes significant cuts to Medicaid, which is the top payer for skilled nursing services. This presents obvious challenges for SNFs, but also may provide some positive outcomes. In the first quarter of 2017, 65.2% of patient days were attributed to Medicaid, and the Medicaid patient […]