As part of the federal government’s new risk-based survey model, nursing homes will be marked as “high-performing” using a little gold trophy icon on Care Compare. While the icon could be a powerful marketing tool, sector leaders warn that its use could be problematic on many fronts. First, the gold trophy’s presence could create the […]
The nursing home industry has generally welcomed the risk-based survey approach announced last month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which rewards high-performing facilities with surveys that take half the time and require fewer surveyors. But the new surveys aren’t simply a Five-star ratings shortcut. CMS created an eligibility test that only […]
Inconsistent interpretation of federal regulations at the state level, and surveyor subjectivity are gray areas that will make compliance navigation in 2026 a challenge, with many also warning of a reliance on outdated processes that could trip up many operators in the months to come. While celebrating the removal of long-standing hurdles for the sector […]
Aetna is scaling up a program to provide more support to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries who are transitioning from the hospital into skilled nursing facilities or to their homes. The Aetna Clinical Collaboration (ACC) program involves Aetna nurses who coordinate with hospital staff to provide more patient support during care transitions, with reduced hospital readmissions being […]
A regulatory hat will be the latest of many worn by medical directors at nursing homes. They are expected to play an integral role in surveys moving forward, and will be on the hook if documentation is missing or a situation wasn’t handled with new survey requirements in mind. Medical directors already have significant administrative […]
High-level citations could be on the rise since new requirements for transfers and discharges went into effect on April 28. Immediate jeopardy (IJ) citations, for instance, that are dreaded by nursing home operators and are often the result of the many benign and avoidable ways facility staff can misunderstand the citation, can increase with the […]
With many of the upcoming nursing home survey changes being tied to care transitions to home, hospitals or other settings, operators say the link between clinical teams and these transitions is more important than ever. However, even though worker shortages have complicated transitions, operators haven’t given up on finding workarounds. So, how do operators square […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed nursing home survey changes for another month, with implementation now to begin April 28 rather than March 24. Associations and providers alike are glad they’re being given more time to prepare, educate and test procedures. CMS said the delay “allows ample time” for both surveyors […]
Transitions in nursing home care will be heavily impacted by upcoming surveyor guidance, but operators can prepare by being realistic about admissions, while also cleaning up any gaps in the discharge process. At the same time, robust documentation around psychotropic medications will be a boon for operators facing updated guidance. Much of the surveyor guidance […]
The process of hiring immigrant workers for the nursing home industry – from start to finish – looks like a grueling task for operators, but leaders in the industry say it’s the closest to a ‘silver bullet’ we have to meeting the staffing crisis. Such a long-term investment is marred by glacial immigration processes, and […]
There’s a strong possibility that Medicare will move to mandate value-based payment models (VBP) for the nursing home industry in the years to come, according to industry executives. Dr. René Lerer and Brian Cloch, CEOs for Longevity Health Plan and Transitional Care Management, respectively, spoke at a panel on the future of VBP models during […]
Short-term nursing facilities across the country continue to wrestle with vaccine-hesitant staff even as residents line up for the vaccination. Thanks to new federal guidance, visitors and residents in some states can now socialize without masks if both can produce vaccine cards. But even as facility managers celebrate this, they are still working to convince […]
Developing new post-acute and long-term care infrastructure during normal times isn’t always easy — in fact, for one Illinois company, the phased opening of three new skilled nursing facilities this year represented the culmination of more than five years of work. But as COVID-19 continues to reveal the fatal shortcomings of outdated nursing home design, […]
Escalating drug costs have made headlines in the health care sector at large in recent months, and as patient length of stay (LOS) declines, skilled nursing facilities are particularly feeling the pinch due to their unique supply requirements. For Transitional Care Management, which has two skilled nursing locations in Illinois, the average cost of medications […]
Most post-acute providers are aware that they need to be able to demonstrate their outcomes with data in meetings with hospitals and other referral partners. But another crucial component is showing how those outcomes are contributing to a skilled nursing facility’s success. “I always say share what your outcomes are doing for you,” said Shonia […]
The shifting tectonic plates in the skilled nursing landscape include a focus on value and a new payment system that puts the focus on medically complex patients and specialties. As providers try to adapt, some have chosen to go all in on a model of care that targets short-stay patients, flying in the face of […]
As the nursing home industry roils with changes ranging from the demographic to the governmental, one Illinois skilled nursing facility has put its focus on short-term rehab and transitional care patients. As a result, it depends more heavily on patient volume than most SNFs, necessitating as many referral sources as possible. And as management pursues […]
