As federal agencies push for ownership transparency, nursing home ownership changes have been linked to a decrease in staffing hours and in turn a drop in Five-Star rating scores, at least for a short period of time following acquisition. Most acquired facilities showed indications of financial struggles, including lower star ratings and occupancy, plus a […]
Health Dimensions Group
Strong leadership translates into a stable workforce, which is one reason why executives across the nursing home sector are recognizing the urgent need for support for Administrator-in-Training (AIT) programs. High turnover among leadership is causing massive ripple effects in just about every area of the sector. But bolstering the administrator workforce has tremendous challenges. For […]
Staffing is an ongoing concern at nursing homes, but the fires are finally calming down. As Skilled Nursing News continues to monitor shifts in staffing challenges – especially with the federal staffing mandate in place – our focus has become more vigilant. Thus, we wanted to take a step back and provide our readers with […]
When looking at the 4.2% Medicare increase in the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for 2025, some leaders in the space wonder if the rate calculated has been inadequate considering inflation, labor woes, and funds needed to meet the federal staffing mandate. Some even argue that rate increases are so far behind […]
Some nursing homes have been impacted as electronic medical record systems (EHRs) are down due to a global tech outage, industry insiders told Skilled Nursing News. However, the extent of the disruption is unclear as yet. “The impact of today’s Crowdstrike crisis is unfolding, so we do not have specifics at this time,” a LeadingAge […]
As staffing shortages continue to drive nursing home closures across the U.S, sector leaders such as Erin Hennessey, President and CEO of Health Dimensions Group, are expressing deep concerns about the minimum staffing rule that will only worsen the crisis of access, especially in rural counties where labor is in very short supply. “There’s no […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday unveiled the finalized minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, drawing sharp – and deeply apprehensive – responses from leaders in the sector. CEOs of nursing home owners and operators and leaders of industry associations were all but unanimous in their reactions; among those who spoke […]
While Medicare Advantage (MA) has grown steadily in the last several years, leaders in the nursing home sector speculate whether increased federal regulation – and perhaps even more importantly, changes in the consumer experience – will slow its growth. This would come as a welcome development to many nursing home leaders, who have been struggling […]
Skilled nursing facilities are set to see changes to the Quality Reporting Program (QRP), with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making moves to address social determinants of health (SDOH) – mainly, adding factors such as living situation, food, utilities, and transportation. “These quality measures are leading us into the realm of health […]
As nursing homes and hospitals confront lingering concerns with inpatient backlogs, lengths of hospital stay, and tighter operating margins, the growth of Medicare Advantage plans – and now greater scrutiny over their prior authorization protocols by the federal government – will only serve to squeeze profits margins. “So those are additional headwinds that will benefit […]
Dealmaking in 2024 comes with cautious optimism and some apprehension from industry leaders in health care, including those in the nursing home space, as deal volume continues to be buffeted by macroeconomic headwinds. In line with the skilled nursing space, overall health services deal volumes through Nov. 15 have declined 13% compared to 2022 levels, […]
As the Covid-19 public health emergency officially ended in 2023, the nursing home sector continued to face lingering troubles across many facets of the business even if spread of disease – and death resulting from it – diminished as a concern. Chief among troubles that continued to plague nursing homes included workforce shortages and expansion […]
As the skilled nursing industry heads toward a new year with continued labor shortages and reimbursement gaps, service repositioning and closures among operators are expected trends for the space. And although there are signs of positivity in the form of increased Medicaid reimbursement in some states, extensive rural closures are creating “nursing home deserts” and […]
The landscape at skilled nursing facilities is evolving rapidly, influenced by factors such as changing regulations, workforce challenges, and the rise of Medicare Advantage, and the minimum staffing proposal only complicates matters. This view was expressed by industry leaders in the opening session of the Skilled Nursing News’ RETHINK conference Wednesday. Panelists – Wesley Rogers, […]
Nursing home operators participating in a value-based purchasing program (VBP) might be able to derive greater benefits in coming years from higher scores based on new measures, as the federal government seeks to reward organizations who prioritize health equity, among other factors. Joel Van Eaton, EVP of post-acute care regulatory affairs and education at Broad […]
The issue of formally requiring patient surveys for nursing homes, similar to surveys mandated in other segments of health care, has long been a source of debate – one getting stirred up again after federal policy makers decided to nix patient satisfaction measures from the recently issued final prospective payment rule for 2024. The Centers […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule Monday that updates Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2024. The federal agency estimates that the aggregate impact of the payment policies in the latest rule would result in […]
Value-based care program (VBP) measures proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have long loomed over skilled nursing operators, and now it seems more are finally on their way for 2026. Staffing-related measures, rehospitalization, discharge and infection prevention are all areas of focus for CMS’ proposed and finalized measures alike. Moreover, proposals […]
Staying informed about upcoming changes to the Minimum Data Sets (MDS) will be vital for skilled nursing operators come October, when the new changes are implemented. These changes include more finely-tuned definitions and more data collection. Section GG of MDS, which measures the functional status and goals of residents in their self-care, mobility, and communication […]
As the Skilled Nursing News’ CLINICAL event in Washington D.C. came to a close last month, industry experts left with staffing concerns amid labor shortages and pending legislation on minimum staffing standards. However, operators also shared optimism over their innovations in corporate and clinical practices as they continued to confront higher acuity and tighter regulation. […]
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