Senate Republicans are pushing a proposal to scale back Medicaid provider taxes to help fund a sweeping budget package – but nursing homes and intermediate care facilities would be exempt from the cuts. A draft from the Senate Finance Committee proposes gradually reducing the maximum provider tax rate in Medicaid expansion states from 6% to […]
As Senate Republicans work behind closed doors to finalize President Trump’s sweeping tax proposal popularly called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a key Medicaid provision drawing attention is the proposed restriction on provider taxes, a funding tool critical to state Medicaid programs and rural health care providers, including nursing homes. Provider taxes allow states to […]
Physiatry is becoming a cornerstone of skilled nursing care in the midst of a push toward value-based reimbursement in Medicare and Medicaid. Its integration into care teams has helped improve outcomes while reducing costly hospitalizations, industry leaders said. The rise of patient acuity has been a huge driver in the evolution of physiatry in nursing […]
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 […]
Nursing home stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic regarding Medicare Advantage plan audits announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last month, but many hope the agency will extend the same scrutiny to prior authorizations, AI usage and internal coverage criteria. Operators are unlikely to face reimbursement cuts as a result of the audits, […]
The UnitedHealth Group (Nasdaq: UNH) allegedly paid bonuses to nursing homes in order to reduce hospital transfers of residents under its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, according to an investigation conducted by The Guardian. The investigation revealed these cost-cutting practices saved the company millions, but endangered patient health; this included delayed or denied emergency hospital care. […]
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce has released a budget proposal that would place a moratorium on the federal nursing home staffing mandate and also prevent states from establishing new provider taxes. In its quest to find $880 billion in savings, the committee was widely expected to propose major cuts and changes […]
Cost-cutting measures in nursing homes, particularly food budgets, have been a concerning underlying issue in the industry, with more than a quarter of facilities in the country spending under $10 per day on food per resident. An investigative report by NJ Advance Media, in collaboration with Rutgers University and data experts at SNFdata Resources of […]
Congress may cut Medicaid provider taxes for nursing homes as a part of budget reconciliation, significantly impacting the sector as many providers rely on this avenue of reimbursement for crucial services and resident resources. These taxes are a key funding tool: providers pay a fee, matched by federal dollars, to support state Medicaid programs. But […]
Private equity ownership in the nursing home sector, currently estimated at between 5% and 13%, may be higher and growing – a development that raises consumer concerns about resident harm and quality of care, especially in light of several high-profile bankruptcies in recent years involving PE-owned facilities. PE-driven bankruptcies have impacted residents, workers, and the […]
A leaked budget document from the White House shows nursing home-related changes, notably potential elimination of health care workforce programs focused on geriatrics and other aging services, and a prioritization of survey and certification funding. The “pre-decisional” document titled, “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2026 Discretionary Budget Passback,” released by Inside Medicine, […]
A federal judge for the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas on Monday threw out the federal nursing home staffing mandate, while just Thursday the Trump administration defended the staffing rule in a brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for Northern […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed nursing home survey changes for another month, with implementation now to begin April 28 rather than March 24. Associations and providers alike are glad they’re being given more time to prepare, educate and test procedures. CMS said the delay “allows ample time” for both surveyors […]
As Congress moves forward with a Republican budget resolution, Medicaid may be on the chopping block, with state governments expected to bear the cost. Nursing home leaders are warning that the cuts, if enacted, could hit the sector hard. On Tuesday night, the House narrowly passed a budget resolution, 217-215, losing only one Republican vote. […]
Nursing home leaders are hoping that the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) new chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was sworn in on Thursday, will commit to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and undoing the federal staffing mandate. Republican lawmakers are pushing for potential Medicaid cuts in their spending bill due to be finalized […]
Just days ago officials with the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were granted access to agency systems and technology at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), but it’s unclear how the department plans to use such findings, or what sort of impact it would have on nursing homes. Nursing home associations […]
The Trump administration’s communications freeze, which has indefinitely blocked a majority of external communications by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), continues to cause turmoil for nursing home operators. This freeze, imposed last week, has disrupted the flow of key health care data, and extends to several federal agencies, including the Centers for […]
Potential Medicaid cuts under President Donald Trump, amounting to more than $2.3 trillion over the span of a decade, are likely amid Republican leadership’s reluctance to trim Medicare and Social Security, with the nursing home sector expected to face deep impacts. In total, House Republicans are exploring over $5 trillion in potential cuts to offset […]
The newly installed Trump administration late Tuesday prompted federal health agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to pause external communications through Feb. 1. That includes regular scientific reports, updates to websites and health advisories – communication that those in the nursing home industry regularly rely upon. Nursing home associations including the […]
Among the myriad executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day Monday was one that freezes new regulations. A welcome relief for nursing home providers, the executive order reflects the new Republican administration’s overall preference for less regulation. However, it is worth noting that this executive order will not derail the staffing mandate […]
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