For one skilled nursing operator in the greater Chicago area, success in the world of accountable care organizations has meant education and proactive collaboration — as well as a willingness to drop out of a partnership with an ACO that didn’t fit into its overall philosophy. “We really look for a partnership in the ACO, […]
Reports of therapist layoffs and cuts in therapy hours hit the news within days of the implementation of the new Medicare reimbursement system for skilled nursing facilities, sending shock waves throughout the rehab provider community. But according to one major skilled nursing trade group, the cuts to therapy were baked into the system of the […]
Less than a week after the federal government proposed a new warning symbol for nursing homes with a history of abuse, a leading trade group has asked for a less severe icon. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) late last week called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ditch its red, […]
The new Medicare payment model for nursing homes took effect this week with a bang, as therapists across the nation criticized a wave of staffing reductions in the immediate wake of the October 1 start date. Several companies implemented workforce cuts as the federal government shifted to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which moves incentives […]
The long wait is over: The new Medicare payment system for nursing homes has arrived. October 1 marks the official start of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), just about 18 months after the federal government first announced the change in April 2018. Since then, the skilled nursing industry has trained a laser focus on preparations […]
With just two weeks to go before the new payment model for nursing homes takes effect, operators that have prepared for the changes could be expecting a significant boost in their Medicare reimbursements. But providers shouldn’t necessarily expect their investors to share in their optimism over the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). Over the course of […]
As the post-acute and long-term health care industry struggles through shortened lengths of stay and compressed reimbursements, an oasis has lingered just beyond the horizon: the so-called silver tsunami. If operators can wait out the current downturn, the thinking goes, the glut of baby boomers turning 80 and older over the coming years will be […]
The leading national trade group representing for-profit skilled nursing facilities this week called on the federal government to streamline its policy on Medicare eligibility for nursing home care, arguing that officials already have the legal authority to do so. American Health Care Association president and CEO Mark Parkinson formally asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]
Background checks for staff and better reporting for nursing home abuse loomed large in a U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing held Tuesday, with consumer advocates and industry representatives confirming the findings of a new report that revealed oversight gaps by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) around nursing home abuse. The report, […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services overturned a ban on skilled nursing operators using pre-dispute arbitration agreements with their residents in a final rule issued July 16, and a range of lawmakers reacted throughout the week. The ban on arbitration agreements in long-term care was implemented by the Obama administration in 2016, to strong […]
The 11th episode of our podcast, Rethink, is now available! Between the release of a “secret” list of underperforming nursing homes and multiple hearings on Capitol Hill, the skilled nursing industry has found itself under the regulatory and media microscope for most of 2019. And for the most part, Mark Parkinson thinks that’s a good […]
The release of a so-called “secret” list of nursing homes considered for inclusion in a program for the nation’s worst properties sent shockwaves through the industry early last month — but the man in charge of the for-profit space’s primary trade group says the sunshine is ultimately a good thing for operators. As the skilled […]
The federal government’s top health care watchdog on Wednesday released a new report accusing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of not doing enough to monitor and punish elder abuse in nursing homes and other settings. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determined that CMS could perform detailed analyses of diagnosis […]
Federal officials could soon begin releasing a previously undisclosed list of underperforming nursing homes targeted for potential inclusion in the Special Focus Facility program, SNN has learned. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) roster of “candidates” for Special Focus Facility status became public on Monday, when a bipartisan pair of senators released the […]
Increasing numbers of states have begun exploring managed Medicaid programs as a means of achieving savings as their populations age. But unless officials provide crucial oversight, skilled nursing facilities could find themselves under even worse financial pressures. It’s something that states and their legislators need to keep in mind as they weigh options for managing […]
Industry leaders had reason to cheer the federal government’s decision to boost Medicare rates for skilled nursing facilities, but the gain could end up only papering over the persistent reimbursement problems in the space. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week proposed a 2.5% increase to the Medicare market basket rate, a […]
Roughly 36% of skilled nursing facilities saw a drop in their overall star ratings after planned changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Nursing Home Compare system took effect on Wednesday. That’s according to a pair of analyses from the American Health Care Association (AHCA), a trade group representing nursing homes, and […]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act adds to the financial headwinds already rattling skilled nursing facilities by removing a key deduction without any kind of offsetting mechanism, American Health Care Association (AHCA) president and CEO Mark Parkinson argued in an op-ed published in Bloomberg Tax. Specifically, the tax law limits deductions on loan interest payments […]
Sen. Bernie Sanders this week introduced a bill to create a single-payer health care system for the U.S., a plan that includes long-term care in its scope — but keeps coverage for institutional nursing home care under Medicaid. The legislation would ensure that the so-called “Medicare for All” plan would include benefits for at-home long-term […]
The leader of the federal government’s center for reimbursement innovation said he is considering bundled payment models where post-acute care providers could take the lead on care — but right now it’s only at the consideration stage. Adam Boehler, who leads the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), said that there has been significant […]
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