Skilled Nursing Providers Have Mixed Feelings on Bundled Payments

Less than two-thirds of acute and long-term care providers have found that bundled payments both lower costs and improve care, according to a new survey, though the company behind the numbers says it’s a little more complicated than that. Archway Health, a Watertown, Mass.-based firm that advises health providers on bundled payment models, asked 70 […]

Public Outcry Over Skilled Nursing Arbitration Rule Grows

The skilled nursing industry cheered earlier this year when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it would reverse course on a plan to ban arbitration agreements between SNF operators and residents. But as the public learns more about the issue, the backlash has been harsh — and national publications are taking […]

How Providers Can Overcome Competition for SNF Employees

The demand for frontline caregivers is no secret in the skilled nursing industry, as many providers often report facing challenges in recruiting amidst the nation’s growing aging population—ultimately brewing a perfect storm of supply not meeting demand. In fact, by 2030, job openings in the long-term services and supports (LTSS) sector is slated to “grow substantially,” as […]

Activity Directors, Nurse Aides See Biggest SNF Pay Bumps in 2017

Activity directors and non-certified nurse aides enjoyed the largest pay raises — on a percentage basis — of all skilled nursing employees between 2016 and 2017, according to the latest data set from the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service. Among salaried employees, activity directors took the crown with a bump of 3.44%, or a rise […]

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 […]

Senate Scraps Health Care Bill, Skilled Nursing Operators Exhale

Senate Republicans scuttled their most recent attempt to pass health care reform legislation after several members announced their opposition to the bill, putting proposed Obamacare replacement on hold — and prompting skilled nursing operators and advocates to breathe a temporary sigh of relief. “We appreciate the Senators that hit the pause button on this debate,” […]

House Passes Bill to Overhaul Skilled Nursing Liability Laws

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would limit skilled nursing and other health care providers’ liability in malpractice cases, prompting praise from industry groups but concern from patient advocates. The Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 would establish federal statutes of limitation on lawsuits stemming from injuries incurred at any […]

In The End, Even The Middle Class Would Feel GOP Cuts To Nursing Home Care

Skilled Nursing News Take: On the same day that Kaiser Health News published this story, American Health Care Association President and CEO Mark Parkinson estimated that the Senate’s health reform bill would ultimately cost individual SNFs $600,000 annually. This KHN story suggests what that might look like—compromising care for people like Alice Jacobs while forcing providers like Dogwood […]

Why Trumpcare Could Shift Cash Away From Skilled Nursing Facilities

While the exact effects of the Senate’s version American Health Care Act remain to be seen, one leading home health care company says the legislation could shift dollars away from institutional care — directly contradicting an earlier report that indicated skilled nursing would represent a vital care option that states would be loath to take […]