Judge Strikes Down Florida’s Generator Rule for SNFs

A judge has ruled that Florida Gov. Rick Scott cannot order skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) or assisted living communities to install generators, citing lack of emergency conditions. Administrative Law Judge Garnett Chisenhall of Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings invalidated the rule on Oct. 27 on the grounds that Scott “failed to demonstrate the existence of an immediate […]

SNFs Renew Push to Change Three-Day Stay Rule

Skilled nursing facility (SNF) operators and industry advocates are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to change a rule related to the way hospital stays are classified. The Observation Stays Coalition—a group formed in 2010 that includes organizations such as the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and AARP—is leading the charge against the […]

CMS Official: Focus on Intent of New SNF Regulations

Skilled nursing providers are trying to understand the details of sweeping new Medicare requirements and survey process changes. But SNFs should not get so preoccupied with the finer points that they lose sight of the fundamental goals that the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) intends to achieve with the updates. “The main point […]

Arbitration Battle in SNFs Isn’t Just for Residents

Arbitration agreements between skilled nursing operators and residents have become a key battleground in the long-term care space, as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks to roll back an Obama-era regulation that would have banned them. But the fight over arbitration clauses — which prevent parties from seeking legal remedies from disputes […]

Staff, Resident Outcomes Soar in Comfort-First Dementia Care Model

Beatitudes, a life plan community in Phoenix, Arizona, has become well known for how it provides dementia care, with articles appearing in The New York Times and other publications. That comfort-first approach is spreading throughout the country, with providers seeing better resident outcomes and operational performance in the model. Three not-for-profit New York City communities—Cobble […]

How SNF Executives Can Lobby Lawmakers Without Leaving the Building

Fresh off a battle that nearly saw wholesale changes to the Medicaid program, skilled nursing lobbyists say the work isn’t over — and that operators on the front lines can often be the most effective voices in reaching Washington. One of the primary reasons that Congress came so close to gutting Medicaid as part of […]

AHCA CEO: Skilled Nursing Providers Must Branch Out to Survive

This year might have presented the hardest operating environment ever for skilled nursing operators, American Health Care Association (AHCA) President and CEO Mark Parkinson said this week at the organization’s annual conference in Las Vegas. Favorable demographics ultimately will be a boon to the sector, but in the meantime, there are some strategies that can […]

SNFs Break Down Barriers Between Care Partners to Cut Rehospitalizations

Under the new regulatory landscape, avoiding rehospitalizations is king — not just for the skilled nursing facility, but for the hospital and any home health providers that may provide care after discharge. But too often, SNFs focus on care within the facility only, and don’t take steps to manage the entire process from hospital to […]

Inside Florida’s Shift to a Prospective Payment System for SNFs

As skilled nursing providers in Florida brace for the introduction of a prospective payment system (PPS) for nursing home reimbursements under the state’s Medicaid program, the state legislature has required the formation of a working group to ease the transition. Under the new law—set to take effect in 2018—the state will switch its Medicaid reimbursement policy from […]

Bill Aims to Expand Veterans’ Access to Nursing Care

A bill recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate aims to make skilled nursing services more readily available for veterans of the military. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) on July 20 reintroduced the Veterans Access to Long Term Care and Health Services Act (S. 1611). The legislation would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to […]

New Long-Term Care Legislation Passes in Oregon

Long-term care is getting a facelift in the Beaver State. Specifically, the Oregon state legislature recently passed House Bill 3359 (HB 3359), which is meant to improve the quality and safety of long-term care settings statewide. The bill, for instance, mandates that all administrators of residential care facilities, including assisted living and memory care communities, receive […]

No Medicaid Relief for SNFs in Amended Health Care Bill

Skilled nursing operators looking for relief in Senate Republicans’ bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) won’t find it in the latest version, released Thursday. Several major amendments have been made to the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA or Better Care), but the new draft bill still contains deep cuts to Medicaid funding over the next […]

CBO Paints Grim Medicaid Picture as Senate Delays Health Care Vote

Faced with growing dissent from both the conservative and moderate wings of his own party, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delayed a vote on the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare — one day after the Congressional Budget Office foresaw a dark future for Medicaid under the bill. McConnell announced Tuesday that the Senate would […]

CBO: 23 Million Would Lose Health Insurance Under House Bill

The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday released its long-awaited score of the American Health Care Act, and the result remained striking for Americans who rely on Medicaid and other government programs to pay for health care. In the nonpartisan office’s estimation, 23 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2026 were the House bill, which […]