Over 200 nursing homes in New York have united in a legal challenge against the state’s Department of Health over alterations to Medicaid reimbursement formulas that they argue have unfairly deprived them of funding. The lawsuit centers on case-mix adjustments used to calculate Medicaid reimbursements based on the intensity of care. Traditionally recalculated every six […]
New York State Health Facilities Association
The skilled nursing industry is at a crossroads as it grapples with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed federal staffing mandate. A significant point of contention in the proposal is the exclusion of licensed practical nurses (LPNs), which has ignited concerns and garnered strong reactions from industry leaders. “What’s keeping me up […]
As the nursing home sector nervously awaits a potential federal minimum staffing mandate, several states are implementing similar mandates of their own, with New York issuing initial letters of violation of state policy this week. According to nursing home advocates, New York’s Department of Health sent out its first set of letters to nursing home […]
As a federal minimum staffing standard looms over the nursing home industry, operators and their advocacy organizations look to learn from existing state mandates to better understand how things will play out on a national stage. New York is providing a cautionary tale at the moment, with a mandate exacerbating access to care, industry professionals […]
Nursing home operators in one of the nation’s largest markets will soon have to deal with new COVID-19 requirements. With the expectation that COVID-19 cases will spike this winter, New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday signed legislation requiring nursing homes to have a plan in place to stop the spread of infections. Operators must […]
As a flurry of regulations and mandates descend upon the nursing home sector, such changes could create legal obstacles, and suggest yet another difficult and onerous year for providers. Staffing mandates, the aftermath of the end of the public health emergency (PHE), Covid liability and the PREP Act, all create “existential threats” for skilled nursing […]
The federal government could soon require nursing homes across the country to spend most of their Medicaid payments on direct patient care, according to a Kaiser Health News report. While not yet formally proposed, the Biden administration’s strategy would limit the amount of Medicaid dollars used on operations, maintenance and capital improvements or considered profits. […]
State staffing minimum laws are colliding with spiking agency costs, with some facilities forced to continue or increase the use of expensive temporary staff to meet state requirements. The dissonance is especially felt in states like New York, which has the largest Medicaid reimbursement shortfall in the nation, according to Stephen Hanse, president and CEO […]
Nursing homes across the state of New York must now abide by a new law that requires facilities to meet minimum staffing levels after Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted a three-month pause on Friday. Hochul originally delayed implementation of the mandates, citing the industry’s staffing challenges made worse by the omicron variant. The law requires the […]
More than 250 New York nursing homes and three major industry trade groups recently filed a lawsuit to block a new state law set to go into effect on Jan. 1 that would create stricter rules and regulations on how nursing homes can spend their revenue. But at least for the next 30 days the […]
New York’s nursing home staff worked against the clock as the state’s health care worker COVID-19 vaccine mandate took effect Monday, and those who did not comply could risk losing their jobs. About 92% of skilled nursing facility staff were vaccinated as of Sept. 28. That’s according to the most recent self-reported data provided by […]
Health officials in New York, which implemented a strict twice-a-week COVID-19 testing protocol for nursing home staffers that many operators claimed would be difficult to meet, this week announced that the mandate had been successful enough to drop the frequency down to weekly in most parts of the state. Citing a reduction in the rate […]
New York City is offering free testing for COVID-19 at nursing homes after reports of difficulty accessing the tests at many skilled nursing facilities, the Associated Press reported May 20. The city will, starting next week, provide test kits and pay to process them for any of the city’s 169 nursing homes, Mayor Bill de […]
The danger that COVID-19 poses to residents in the skilled nursing setting was well-documented in the fallout from an outbreak in a facility in the state of Washington. But as cases mount and hospital beds fill up, health officials across the country are starting to indicate that SNFs need to be ready to take patients […]
Health care providers — including skilled nursing operators — in New York could see a new 3% surcharge on all new facilities under the governor’s proposed budget for fiscal 2021. The New York Post first reported the news earlier this week. The 2020-2021 executive budget proposes setting a certificate of need (CON) fee of 3% […]
After a tense year of standoffs between New York nursing home providers and the state government, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined his budget for the new fiscal 2021 with an eye toward curbing rapidly-expanding Medicaid spending. The budget doesn’t propose specific cuts to the Medicaid program, but Cuomo’s goal is to achieve $2.5 billion in savings […]
A judge in New York threw a roadblock in front of a proposed change to Medicaid reimbursement calculations, one that skilled nursing providers argued could set them back millions. Acting Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O’Connor issued a preliminary injunction on November 7 that prevents the state of New York from implementing a change in how […]
A coalition of nursing home providers in New York State on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Health (DOH), alleging violations of federal and state law with regard to hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding cuts. “These rate reductions were motivated purely out of budgetary concerns, with no consideration for the residents […]
A plan to significantly change New York State’s Medicaid reimbursement model for nursing homes remains up in the air, leaving operators wondering if they could face retroactive cuts to the tune of millions of dollars. Back in June, New York officials filed a state plan amendment (SPA) with the federal government that would make changes […]
Several states across the U.S. have eyed managed long-term services and supports as a way to reduce their Medicaid spend, but the state of New York — which made the move in the early part of the decade — is now taking a step back. Specifically, the Empire State is looking to move the long-term […]