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 […]
American Health Care Association
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 […]
Two of the biggest names in long-term care advocacy have teamed up to create a new online workforce center aimed at curbing persistent staffing pressures at skilled nursing and senior housing facilities. The American Health Care Association (AHCA), in conjunction with the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), on Monday launched the Workforce Resource Center, a website […]
Value-based arrangements generate much of their savings by shifting spending away from the post-acute setting, according to recent government announcements. That ups the already-high pressure on skilled nursing facilities to lower patient length of stay while maintaining quality of care. To cope, they’ll have to make themselves invaluable to both referral sources and payers who […]
A newly proposed payment system overhaul for the skilled nursing industry could create new challenges for the sector, according to public comments by trade groups and other stakeholders submitted on the Federal Register. Namely, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) believes the payment system, as proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in […]
The skilled nursing industry pushed back strongly against the idea that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has reduced federal oversight of nursing homes, as argued recently by 17 state attorneys general. “There was no rollback of anything,” Dr. David Gifford, senior vice president of quality and regulatory affairs at the American Health […]
As Medicare Advantage continues to capture a greater share of seniors, some skilled nursing providers are looking to get a head start by becoming insurers themselves. Operators have found institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs), a special type of Medicare Advantage program that covers beneficiaries in need of in-home nursing care or confined to an institution, […]
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) on Tuesday rolled out new three-year goals for skilled nursing facilities, challenging operators to improve on a variety of metrics. The goals — announced at AHCA’s national Quality Summit in New Orleans — for skilled nursing are aligned with new value-based care models and the priorities of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
Depending on whose earnings call you happened to catch this season, the predicted surge in demand for skilled nursing services is just around the corner — or it isn’t coming at all. At Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), management enlisted the services of two consulting firms to crunch the numbers on demographic trends over the […]
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