SNFs See ‘Disappointing’ Occupancy Recovery as Regulatory Risks Rise

The skilled nursing industry faces an uncertain future with slow occupancy recovery, a historic labor shortage and “worse than expected” cuts to Medicare funding. According to an analysis from Seniorly, 25% of facilities in the US report staff shortages in 2022, up from 16% in 2021. In Minnesota alone in 2022, 41% of SNF operators […]

Uptick in Elective Surgeries May Not Boost SNF Occupancy

A noted rise in elective surgeries for seniors, perhaps to pre-Covid levels, may not translate into a bump in skilled nursing occupancy. Roughly 44% of physicians estimate that there will be more elective surgeries in Q2 compared to Q1 – but 60% of those surveyed said they expected skilled nursing discharges to be similar to […]

Proposed Medicare Rate Increases for IRFs, IPFs, Hospice ‘Do Not Bode Well’ for SNFs

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unveils its proposed payment rules for the coming fiscal year, some in the industry feel that what has already been issued for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) and hospice providers does not “bode well” for the skilled nursing industry. A Mizuho Securities analyst note […]

White House Throws Its Weight Behind SNF Value-Based Purchasing Expansion, with Staffing Measures Targeted

The value-based purchasing program (VBP) available to skilled nursing facilities, while garnering the attention of the Biden administration in its sweeping reform initiatives, was already under the microscope with federal agencies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) already has been authorized to apply nine measures to the program in adherence with the Consolidated […]

Buy, Sell, Hold: Nursing Home Owners Weigh Options Amid Murky Future of Government Support

Financial government support accompanying ongoing public health emergencies (PHEs) is considered a major factor in transaction activity, since so many facilities currently depend on such funding. What remains unclear is where that government support ship is headed as the industry continues into 2022. For operators, uncertain government funding could mean a continued rush of transactions […]

2022 Skilled Nursing Outlook: No Labor Relief In Sight, Providers Eyeing Diversification Strategies

Staffing is unequivocally, and unsurprisingly, the top challenge for the skilled nursing industry in 2022. That’s according to the Skilled Nursing News 2022 outlook survey, conducted online late last year as a way to identify the top sources of concern and opportunities leaders saw in the year ahead. Labor challenges are not only widespread, but […]

PDPM Adjustments, Smaller Medicare Raise Show CMS ‘Ready to Pull Back’ on COVID Aid to Nursing Homes

As the federal government’s approach toward nursing homes and COVID-19 continues to shift from emergency support to reflection and reform, analysts are increasingly warning that the coronavirus-era gravy train could soon come to an abrupt stop. In particular, the past week has brought three pieces of news that may signal trouble ahead for operators and […]

Skilled Nursing Outshines Senior Living in Short Term, But 2022 Could Bring ‘Wall of Investor Worry’

Given current recovery trends, skilled nursing facilities may continue to prove a safer near-term bet for investors than the traditionally more attractive senior living landscape, according to a new analysis from Mizuho Securities USA — but 2022 and beyond remains deeply uncertain. Speaking at Mizuho’s virtual health care REIT summit on Tuesday, American Health Care […]

As Pandemic Drags On, Home Health Diversion Rates from Nursing Homes May Become Permanent

Occupancy at the nation’s nursing homes cratered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals suspended non-emergency surgeries and families looked to avoid institutional care settings for their loved ones at all costs. During the initial coronavirus wave last spring, leaders in the sector hoped that the second half of 2020 would bring a return to normalcy […]

Slow Vaccine Rollout Prompts Skilled Nursing REIT Downgrades, But Stimulus Optimism Remains

Two investment firms provided opposite takes on the stocks of publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) with skilled nursing portfolios, with Mizuho Securities USA downgrading two of the REITs and Jefferies upgrading the same two firms. The two REITs involved were Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) and Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA). “We […]

Skilled Nursing Facilities Could Soon See $1.5B Under CMS’s Emergency Relief Plan, With More on the Way

The federal government this week announced that hospitals and other Medicare-reimbursed health care providers will receive the first disbursements from a $100 billion emergency COVID-19 stimulus fund. For skilled nursing facilities that primarily derive their income from Medicare, the windfall could be significant. “We estimate an allocation of about $1.5 billion to skilled nursing based […]

REIT Stocks Fall Again After Reports of New Nursing Home Coronavirus Case

Another skilled nursing facility in the state of Washington has reported an outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that is sweeping the globe — resulting in major declines in the stock prices of several real estate investment trusts (REITs) with holdings in the skilled nursing and senior housing sectors. That facility, […]

Volatile Market, Rising Interest Rates Add to Skilled Nursing Pressures

Just when it seemed like the skilled nursing industry had enough potential issues on its plate for 2018 — potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, ongoing reimbursement pressures, and staffing woes — the historically healthy stock market took a major tumble. Sabra Health Care REIT (NASDAQ: SBRA), Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR), and other health care […]

SNFs Could Emerge as ‘Net Losers’ Under GOP Tax Plan

Senate Republicans passed their version of comprehensive tax reform in the early hours of Saturday morning, and while lawmakers in both houses still need to weigh in on a compromise bill, fears about the legislation’s impact are coursing through the long-term care industry. Skilled nursing operators could be the “net losers” under the GOP-led tax […]