The first week of the new Medicare payment model for nursing homes has brought stories of rapidly shifting therapy patterns among some providers, and voices from the consulting and advocacy worlds are warning that any sudden movements could cause adverse effects — both immediately and down the road. The advent of the Patient-Driven Payment Model […]
Skilled nursing and senior living can seem worlds apart, with the former associated with health care and the latter with hotel-style touches like bistro dining and concierge serves. But one operator of skilled nursing facilities sees moving into assisted living as the best way to prepare for the future of both models. The Minneapolis-based Health […]
Risk-sharing has loomed large in health care reform efforts over the last decade, and the new Medicare payment model for skilled nursing facilities could open up additional avenues for operators to take control — along with pointed questions from partners along the spectrum. The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) marks a step toward a long-teased site-neutral […]
The market will still need to determine whether the new Medicare reimbursement structure for nursing homes will be a net positive or negative for the industry, but at least one insider says buyers and sellers in the space aren’t optimistic enough. Current prices for skilled nursing facilities don’t typically account for the potential of cost […]
Ever since the government came out with its most recent model for bundled payments, acute care has been in the driver’s seat. Under the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) program, hospital providers and physician leaders are the only ones who can initiate episodes of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week made a small policy change that could have a major beneficial impact for skilled nursing providers that rely on Medicaid. CMS updated its guidance for the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), indefinitely extending a key workaround for states that base Medicaid rates on the existing Medicare […]
As the implementation date draws nearer for the overhaul of the Medicare reimbursement system, some providers have found comfort in government projections about their revenue under the new model. But that comfort might be misplaced, according to a webinar held Wednesday by Minneapolis.-based consulting and management firm Health Dimensions Group. The Centers for Medicare & […]
Four skilled nursing facilities formerly operated by Atrium Health and Senior Living have closed. The four properties have been under the receivership of Michael Polsky since September, when a court approved the transfer of 33 SNFs and assisted living properties amid financial issues. “Our main focus at this time is to stabilize the company and […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided details this week on what accountable care organizations (ACOs) have to do to receive waivers of the three-day inpatient stay requirement for skilled nursing care in updated guidance. ACOs consist of hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers that band together to provide care to Medicare […]
In the lead-up to Christmas and New Year’s, the Skilled Nursing News team took a shot at predicting what 2019 will have in store for the industry over the coming 12 months. Now that the ball has dropped and we’re all back at our desks, we thought it was the perfect time to ask a […]
As occupancy levels continue to fall in skilled nursing facilities, some providers will have to think outside the box — and sometimes outside their walls — to make the best use of their space and their resources. But they might have more flexibility to do that in part because of the different roles that rural […]
While rural skilled nursing facilities are facing the same reimbursement and regulatory challenges as their urban peers, they’re going to have to take some extra steps to survive the pressures. For one thing, rural SNFs are often dealing with a critical access hospital (CAH), defined among other criteria as being located more than 35 miles […]
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 […]
Atrium Health and Senior Living announced late on Friday it had reached an agreement to have a receiver appointed for 33 skilled nursing and assisted living properties in Wisconsin and Michigan. The news was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Circuit Court of Wood County appointed Michael Polsky of Beck, Chaet, Bamberger & Polsky […]
By quickly finalizing the new payment system for skilled nursing facilities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a strong message that the model is final and that the industry will move forward with it. That’s according to a webinar from Minneapolis-based consulting firm Health Dimensions Group (HDG), which last week gave an […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made some tweaks to the most recent bundled payments program that could boost participation by hospitals and physician groups — and skilled nursing providers should be ready, one expert told Skilled Nursing News. The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) initiative was first announced in […]
Most skilled nursing facilities can expect a financial gain under the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), but some are going to have make adjustments to avoid taking a significant hit as incentives shift. “SNFs with a heavy focus on ultra-high therapy and an ultra-long length of stay (LOS) will really need to take a look […]
Post-acute care (PAC) providers, including skilled nursing facilities, may be out of the driver’s seat in the new bundled payments program from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), but that doesn’t mean they need to sit on the sidelines. In fact, being proactive is one of the best things they can do position themselves […]
For rural skilled nursing facilities, specialization and collaboration can be key ingredients to success, according to a recent webinar from Health Dimensions Group (HDG), a senior living consulting company. “People don’t quite understand how challenging it is and the amount of work that rural providers do to care take care of an entire community with […]