Competing Incentives: How Improving the Transition to Home Can Pay Off for Nursing Homes

Some skilled nursing providers have looked to improve transitions to the home as one way to build back hospital referrals, but without much direct financial incentive to do so, things like patient education and discharge planning may remain in the periphery for most operators. Value-based payment methodologies, especially for Medicare patients, provide some financial incentives […]

Short-Term Stay Nursing Home Patients Report Gaps in Care While Transitioning Home

The majority of patients who returned home after staying in a skilled nursing facility for a short-term stay said there were “substantial gaps” in their care, according to a survey conducted by the United Hospital Fund (UHF). Of 263 patients surveyed across eight New York nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other skilled nursing facilities, 80% […]

Bundled Payments for Joint Replacements Saved Medicare Money — with No Quality Declines

A major bundled payment program for hip and knee replacement episodes has produced savings for the government without corresponding declines in quality, according to a new study — confirming the central motive behind a program that has drawn the ire of post-acute operators. The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement model (BPCI) seeks to both decrease […]

New CMS Rule Requires Hospitals to Provide Skilled Nursing Quality Data at Discharge

The federal government issued a final rule on Thursday requiring hospitals to give patients access to more information about the post-acute provider choices available — including data on how their post-acute options perform on quality measures such as pressure ulcers, falls, and readmissions. This new rule will not have any impact on anti-steering regulations that […]

ACOs Cost Government Money, But Skilled Nursing Opportunity Remains Large

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) don’t always meet their intended goals of saving the government money, and while a new study shows that the model has led to losses in New York, its author asserts that the programs remain ripe for skilled nursing opportunities. Five years into the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), ACOs in the […]

Hospital Staffs Don’t Always Know Why SNFs Make the ‘Preferred’ Cut

The staff members tasked with guiding residents from hospitals to post-acute care options frequently feel restricted during the process — and often don’t even know why certain SNFs are classified as preferred partners. Anti-steering rules, or regulations that prevent hospitals from recommending specific skilled nursing facilities, can sometimes serve as a general gag for discharge […]

Poor Transfers Confuse Residents, Could Cost Skilled Nursing Facilities Money

Attend any industry conference, and you’ll likely hear multiple panels discuss the importance of care coordination: In an era of managed Medicare, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and value-based purchasing, players along the acute and post-acute care continuum have a financial incentive to seamlessly transition residents from hospital to nursing facility to home. But on the […]