SNFs Are a Costly Liability for Life Plan Communities As Wage Inflation Persists

Life plan communities (LPC) are seeing significant credit risk linked to skilled nursing facility components. And some of this risk is heightened by labor issues at SNFs. That’s according to data published by Fitch Ratings in its latest Labor Dashboard for the sector, which found persistently high wage inflation among SNF workers – wages remain […]

Fitch Affirms ProMedica’s ‘BBB-‘ Rating, Citing Senior Care As Asset

Fitch Ratings affirmed its “BBB-” rating for ProMedica Health System with a stable outlook, citing the health system’s “diversified business model with exposure to three distinct and historically successful divisions” – namely, acute care, senior care and insurance, in a ratings commentary published June 3. “The Stable Outlooks reflects ProMedica’s successful navigation of the coronavirus […]

Even After Genesis Exit, Fitch Affirms ‘Negative’ Outlook for Welltower, Predicts Permanent 30% Rent Cuts for SNFs

Fitch Ratings announced Tuesday that it “has affirmed and withdrawn all ratings of Welltower, Inc. (NYSE: WELL), including the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘BBB+’.” The credit ratings provider also said that the rating outlook for the Toledo, Ohio-based real estate investment trust (REIT) is “Negative,” a reflection of its “elevated leverage profile above […]

Fitch Upgrades Sabra Outlook Despite Specter of Permanent 30% Rent Cuts

Senior housing and care operators that had been struggling prior to the COVID-19 pandemic may need permanent rent cuts of 30% to survive in the long term, a top financial ratings agency noted — but even that hit is unlikely to hurt one of the top landlords in the sector. Fitch Ratings on Monday upgraded its […]

As Skilled Nursing Lease Coverages Stabilize, Many Operators Can Meet Rent Without More Stimulus: Fitch

Despite grim numbers around COVID-19 rates and cratering occupancy in skilled nursing facilities, a variety of factors conspired to improve top operators’ lease coverage in the third quarter of 2020 — with a tentatively brighter outlook for the start of next year. An increase in skilled mix, normalization of pandemic-related costs, and the return of […]

Fitch: 30% Rent Cuts for Skilled Nursing Facilities May Be Necessary, But Not for All Operators

Major skilled nursing landlords are likely to institute rent reductions over the course of 2021 in order to help keep them afloat, according to Fitch Ratings — but the effect won’t be equally felt across all operators. In affirming twin BBB- ratings for Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) and National Health Investors (NYSE: NHI), Fitch […]

Fitch Downgrades ProMedica, But Cites ManorCare Nursing Home Business as Bright Spot

Major hospital system ProMedica received another downgrade to its credit rating, but its HCR ManorCare nursing home arm remains a bright spot amid stresses elsewhere, according to Fitch Ratings. The ratings agency late Thursday announced a downgrade of the non-profit’s issuer default rating from BBB to BBB-, while also raising its outlook from negative to […]

Fitch Ratings Drops Welltower’s Outlook to Negative Amid COVID-19 Pressures

Fitch Ratings on Wednesday revised its rating outlook for Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) to “Negative,” down from “Stable,” while affirming the rating at “BBB+.” The Toledo, Ohio-based Welltower has a portfolio in which senior housing facilities accounted for 62% of net operating income as of March 31, while skilled nursing facilities account for about 15% […]

Fitch: Skilled Nursing REITs Can Withstand COVID-19 Crisis — To a Point

Most of the real estate investment trusts (REITs) with holdings in skilled nursing and senior housing facilities can weather the financial strains caused by COVID-19, a major credit rating agency affirmed this week — but only if current trends hold. Various REITs have responded to the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic by taking steps to […]

Avamere Pivots Away from Skilled Nursing with New Senior Living Brand

The Avamere Family of Companies on Monday announced plans to take its skilled nursing-free retirement communities national, marking another milestone in the senior housing space’s growing skepticism of long-term health care. The Wilsonville, Ore.-based operator and developer of senior housing and care properties rolled out its Ovation by Avamere subsidiary with groundbreaking ceremonies in St. […]

Welltower, ProMedica to Slash Rent on Former ManorCare Skilled Nursing Facilities

The former HCR ManorCare skilled nursing facilities received a major rent break under their new ownership structure. HCP Properties, the 80-20 joint venture between Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) and non-profit hospital provider ProMedica, will charge $179 million for the first year of its 15-year lease with the 168 skilled nursing facilities and 58 senior living […]

As Underperforming Skilled Nursing Assets Sell, Private Equity Makes a Move

Amid all the shakeups in the post-acute and skilled nursing sector, private equity funds and others have seen an opportunity to move into the space — and they haven’t hesitated to take advantage. Much of the focus for private equity and institutional investors has been on senior housing, according to an August report from Fitch […]

Skilled Nursing Continues to Drag on CCRCs’ Future

A major financial ratings service released an overall stable outlook for the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) market over the coming year, but expressed nagging doubts about the effects of skilled nursing on the industry’s overall health. For the sixth consecutive year, Fitch Ratings issued a “stable” credit rating projection for the CCRC sector, which […]

Provider Battles for Skilled Nursing Innovations in New High-Rise

With skilled nursing besieged from all sides, there is a pressing need for fresh designs and improved services. Recognizing this, a non-profit provider in Wisconsin has gone to great lengths to bring an innovative offering to the Milwaukee market, highlighting that it’s possible — but often difficult — to push the envelope in skilled nursing. Less than a decade […]

Post-Acute Crunch at Non-Profit CCRCs Predicted for 2018

Post-acute concerns could be a thorn in the side of non-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) operators next year. Citing industry-wide declines in census, admissions, and revenues amid changing payment models, Fitch Ratings, Inc. identified skilled rehabilitation care as a main concern for non-profit CCRCs in an otherwise sunny report about the state of the industry issued […]

SNFs Could Benefit Under Bundled Payment Changes

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 […]