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 […]
A bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers this week took another stab at clarifying the rules regarding a frequently confusing aspect of skilled nursing coverage under Medicare. Under the terms of the proposed legislation, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2019, so-called “observation stays” would count toward the three days of inpatient acute care […]
Various industry stakeholders on Wednesday took to Capitol Hill for a hearing on safety standards at the country’s skilled nursing facilities, but one leading senator took the opportunity to sound the alarm over potential cuts to the Medicaid program. The Trump administration could move as soon as next week to publicly restart the fight over […]
Nursing homes in Wisconsin are blaming the state’s low Medicaid reimbursements for a wave of nursing home closures and persistent financial struggles, Wisconsin Public Radio reported earlier this month. Nursing home advocates are asking lawmakers in the state to invest $83.5 million in the next two-year budget as a result, the media organization reported. The […]
The Medicare payment model taking effect on October 1 this year represents a sea change for skilled nursing providers in that patient condition, rather than therapy minutes, will drive reimbursement. It also represents a sea change in the mechanics of reimbursement. Under the Patient-Driven Payment Model, ICD-10 codes will form the basis of reimbursements, making […]
A plan to fundamentally change the way the federal government funds Medicaid — which could lead to hundreds of billions in cuts — may be back on the table after seemingly dying two years ago. The Trump administration is currently mulling ways to convert Medicaid to a block-grant system, Politico reported late last week, reviving […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday that it will use payroll-based journal (PBJ) data to bolster state oversight of nursing homes, effective immediately. Specifically, CMS will use PBJ data to identify and provide state survey agencies with a list of nursing homes that have several days in a quarter without a registered […]
For families of nursing facility residents, being able to remotely monitor their loved ones can bring peace of mind during a difficult period. But for skilled nursing operators, families installing cameras in sensitive areas can open the door to a variety of legal problems — including the violation of federal wiretapping laws. Only 11 states […]
Increases in long-term care costs contributed to an overall boost in Medicaid spending during fiscal 2018, and a leading health policy non-profit warns that 2019 could be a pivotal year for the program. “FY 2019 will be a year to watch how Medicaid’s role evolves on the ground in the 50 states and D.C.,” the […]
With less than a year to go before the Patient-Driven Payment Model takes effect, skilled nursing providers must move beyond the planning stages and get into the facility-level details that will make or break them under the new model. On a webinar hosted by Skilled Nursing News and software provider Optima Healthcare Solutions last week, […]
The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) has gobbled up most of the recent headlines in the skilled nursing industry regarding new regulations, but there’s another set of rules that providers shouldn’t forget about. The industry remains in the thick of the new Requirements of Participation, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will finish […]
Investors frequently point to “headline risk” as a reason to beware the skilled nursing space, typically referring to the kinds of negative press that arise due to natural disasters and lapses in care for vulnerable seniors. But a top executive at the nation’s largest skilled nursing real estate investment trust (REIT) says the prolonged staffing […]
As the long-term health care industry moves into a value-based payment world, a special type of Medicare Advantage plan could offer skilled nursing providers a path to get ahead. In fact, institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) could be the future for skilled nursing facilities battered by the changes in reimbursement, the move to value-based models […]
The skilled nursing industry dodged a bullet in 2017 when comprehensive Medicaid reform failed, but key industry leaders warn that the outcome of the fall elections could revive the $800 billion threat to SNFs’ bottom lines. Should Republicans hold onto their control of Congress in the upcoming midterms, leaders may take another run at Medicaid […]
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