The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced several ways it plans to improve the Medicaid program — including new proposals for reforms and fewer regulatory burdens, increased efficiency, and more transparency and accountability, according to CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Our vision for the future of Medicaid is to reset the federal-state relationship and […]
We’re knee-deep in earnings season here at Skilled Nursing News, and at least one major real estate investment trust (REIT) used the reporting period to signal a sea change in its strategy going forward. In case you didn’t catch them the first time around, here are the headlines you need to get up to speed […]
Skilled nursing providers across the country continue to work hard as Nov. 28 approaches. That’s when the second phase of the new SNF Medicare and Medicaid requirements of participation take effect. The so-called “mega rule” is being implemented in three phases, and this second phase brings a host of new requirements. Here are a few […]
A multi-year initiative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to lower hospitalizations in long-term care has its first set of finalized results, with data showing that the plan is working so far. CMS on Friday announced that all seven participating sites saw declines in hospitalizations. Six of the seven had statistically significant drops in […]
Skilled nursing providers are trying to understand the details of sweeping new Medicare requirements and survey process changes. But SNFs should not get so preoccupied with the finer points that they lose sight of the fundamental goals that the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) intends to achieve with the updates. “The main point […]
Congressional Republicans may have failed at several attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and enact deep cuts to the Medicaid program, but at least one expert says long-term care providers shouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. “I don’t think the states feel like Medicaid is safe right now, and I don’t think […]
With wildfires threatening multiple communities in Northern California, skilled nursing and other senior living operators are facing a dilemma all too familiar to those who work in the Gulf Coast states: to evacuate or not to evacuate? For some, the choice was clear: In Santa Rosa, Calif., officials at four Oakmont Senior Living communities evacuated 350 residents […]
House Democrats on Wednesday called on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to change her mind on reinstating the use of arbitration clauses in skilled nursing contracts. Referencing the recent problems at nursing homes in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, 46 Democratic representatives wrote a letter to Verma asking […]
Efforts to improve comprehensive dementia care and reduce antipsychotic use in long-term care are paying off, with skilled nursing facilities exceeding goals set five years ago. But SNFs that still have high rates of antipsychotic use now have to meet a new benchmark established by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As part of its National […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has withdrawn a proposed rule to extend spousal rights to same-sex married couples. The rule is no longer needed, as same-sex marriage became legal and recognized in all 50 states since it was proposed, the agency stated in its reasoning. The rule was proposed in December 2014 as part […]
Nursing home complaints handled by state authorities rose by one third between 2011 and 2015 — even as occupancy at skilled nursing facilities declined slightly. In addition, a handful of states accounted for the majority of late investigations, according to a new data brief from the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the […]
Skilled nursing providers affected by Hurricane Irma are getting some relief. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted exceptions for some quality reporting for providers in affected areas. Hurricane Irma, which battered the state of Florida in early September prompted an unprecedented number of evacuations from SNFs. The storm came within just […]
Skilled nursing operators were already focused on emergency preparations before the recent hurricanes, but following the deaths of eight SNF residents in the wake of Hurricane Irma, providers can expect harsh consequences if their plans don’t meet requirements. Local authorities are still sorting out what exactly went wrong at the 152-bed Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills […]
Before you start sifting through your inbox, here’s what you need to know from the world of skilled nursing news from the past week: Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: KND) began its exit from the skilled nursing industry, announcing the $519 million sale of 54 SNFs in 10 states — out of a total of 89 […]
Over the past decade, the behind-the-scenes relationship between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities has warmed through more common investors, and researchers from Harvard University are raising questions about competition and antitrust regulations. The percentage of acute care hospitals having common investor ties to the post-acute or hospice sectors increased from 24.6% in 2005 to 48.9% in […]
Skilled nursing facilities are in for a short-term reprieve if a proposal to reduce some bundled payments by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is finalized, according to a recent Fitch Ratings report. CMS proposed reducing some bundled payment models and canceling mandatory programs yet to be implemented. The move, while largely unsurprising given the current […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday announced an emergency suspension of Medicare quality reporting requirements for skilled nursing and other health care facilities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) located in 32 Texas counties and five Louisiana parishes will be automatically granted exceptions for submitting Quality Reporting Program data […]
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 […]
Two prominent skilled nursing industry groups are applauding a recent proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to scale back mandatory bundled payment models. Specifically, the Episode Payment Models (EPMs) and the Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) incentive payment model are on the chopping block. Under the proposal, which was issued Tuesday afternoon, CMS would […]
For skilled nursing providers looking for ways to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, taking on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) could be the way forward. That’s according to Marilyn Rantz, professor of nursing for Missouri University’s Sinclair School of Nursing. In 2012, the nursing school received almost $15 million from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for an initiative aimed […]
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