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 […]

Must-Read Stories: Trumpcare’s Death, ManorCare’s Potential Breakup

First things first: We here at Skilled Nursing News won’t say that Trumpcare has officially died — it’s been revived multiple times so far— but after months of hand-wringing and dire projections about Obamacare repeal’s effect on the skilled nursing industry, it finally looks as though the former president’s cornerstone legislative victory is here to […]

Louisiana SNFs Have Extra Protection from Potential Medicaid Cuts

While skilled nursing providers across the U.S. fret over potentially big Medicaid cuts, Louisiana SNFs can breathe slightly easier. That’s because nursing homes there are shielded against Medicaid budget cuts both by statutes and the state’s constitution, The Advocate of Baton Rouge, La. reported. Furthermore, Louisiana — which spent more than $1 billion on nursing homes this […]

Pros and Cons for Skilled Nursing Under Senate’s Trumpcare Bill

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 […]

Why Dark Skilled Nursing History Could Repeat Itself

Various health care agencies and groups have expressed concerns over the effects of Obamacare repeal on Americans’ access to skilled nursing care, as well as the ongoing viability of SNFs as a business amid steep Medicaid cuts. At least one commentator also claims that the GOP health plans could lead to a return to the […]

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 […]

Friday Round-Up: Senate Prepares to Hack Away at Medicaid

Welcome to an eventful Friday in the world of skilled nursing, as both industry players and average Americans still struggle to untangle the implications of the Senate’s version of the American Health Care Act — and the Senate GOP leadership attempts to wrangle enough votes to pass the legislation by the time Congress takes off […]

It’s Official: Senate Health Plan Slashes Medicaid Deeper Than House

The U.S. Senate on Thursday released the long-awaited details of its Obamacare repeal plan, confirming rumors that it would see the House’s plan to cut Medicaid spending and raise it — potentially spelling trouble for skilled nursing operators. Medicaid remains the single largest payer for skilled nursing services in the United States, shelling out $55 billion to SNFs […]

Medicaid Changes Under Trumpcare Could Hamstring Skilled Nursing

As the Senate reportedly prepares to release its version of legislation that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, a leading health care nonprofit warns that changes to the Medicaid program under the American Health Care Act could harm the skilled nursing industry. Medicaid represents the largest payer for skilled nursing services, providing $55 […]

Senate’s Medicaid Plan Could Cut Deeper Than House Bill

The Senate’s version of the American Health Care Act may include an even more austere future for Medicaid spending than the House’s vision of $800 billion in cuts over the next decade. Medicaid is the largest payer for long-term care nationally, and skilled nursing providers are watching the evolving legislation closely — though it remains unclear what […]

Trumpcare Would Kill Jobs, Swing Funding to Skilled Nursing Care

The American Health Care Act (AHCA)—the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare—would alter the way Medicaid is funded, and could influence more states to shift care back to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), according to a recent report. By switching Medicaid financing to per capita caps, which provides states with an aggregate amount of funding […]

Friday Round-Up: Key QCP/ManorCare Buyout Deadline Comes and Goes

It’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time for a quick look back at the biggest skilled nursing headlines of the past week, and a peek into what could be on the horizon in the coming days. Skilled Nursing News brought you extensive coverage from the Post Acute Link Care Continuum Conference in our hometown of […]

Trumpcare Inched Forward in the Senate While Comey Dominated Headlines

While the nation stood transfixed by former FBI director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate, that same body moved closer to finding a Trumpcare bill that could satisfy the skeptics among its ranks. The under-the-radar movement was enough to prompt one Washington insider, speaking before a health care conference in Chicago on Sunday, to predict […]

AARP: Medicaid to Dry Up for Seniors Under Trumpcare

The American Health Care Act would gradually constrict skilled nursing and other health providers’ ability to care for Medicaid patients over the coming decades, especially as the proportion of Medicaid recipients aged 85 and older increases, a new report from AARP alleges. The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group’s concern stems from the AHCA’s mandate to shift […]