Nursing home leaders are hoping that the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) new chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was sworn in on Thursday, will commit to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and undoing the federal staffing mandate. Republican lawmakers are pushing for potential Medicaid cuts in their spending bill due to be finalized […]
Executives at Welltower (NYSE: WELL) expressed a bullish long-term outlook on skilled nursing and reaffirmed their commitment to including nursing homes in the portfolio mix. “Our post-acute segment plays an extraordinarily important role as we think about portfolio construction,” CEO Shankh Mitra said during Welltower’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday. “We are thinking about how […]
As Republican lawmakers’ push for potential Medicaid cuts have gained more attention in recent weeks, claims that older adults, including those in nursing homes, will likely be insulated from the financial fallout have also surfaced. However, experts are now suggesting that this may not be the case after all. Executives in the skilled nursing sector […]
Executives at Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI), which posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, foresee more positive developments ahead, given the Trump administration’s favorable stance toward the nursing home sector and the potential Medicaid cuts being considered by Republican lawmakers as largely a non-issue. “Coverages are the strongest they have been in years, which is reflective of […]
Potential Medicaid cuts under President Donald Trump, amounting to more than $2.3 trillion over the span of a decade, are likely amid Republican leadership’s reluctance to trim Medicare and Social Security, with the nursing home sector expected to face deep impacts. In total, House Republicans are exploring over $5 trillion in potential cuts to offset […]
All across the U.S., from California to Massachusetts and Wisconsin and Minnesota, especially in states with large rural communities, experts are worried that President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration, along with his pledge to lead the largest deportation effort in history, will compound the worker shortage the nursing home sector currently faces. President Trump’s […]
Among the myriad executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day Monday was one that freezes new regulations. A welcome relief for nursing home providers, the executive order reflects the new Republican administration’s overall preference for less regulation. However, it is worth noting that this executive order will not derail the staffing mandate […]
The deadline for the Executives to Watch program is drawing near. Entries for the inaugural WTWH Healthcare and Skilled Nursing News Executives to Watch program close January 15, 2025. We are inviting submissions from you – those working in the skilled nursing sector – to recognize the leaders who are making major impacts on their […]
As the dust finally began to settle in 2024 from the operational storm unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home operators found themselves in a good position to turn to an issue that had not been so much ignored as largely postponed in the wake of the lasting damage. Closures along with mergers and acquisitions […]
While 2025 remains a bit uncertain due to the federal staffing mandate and a new White House administration, leaders in the nursing home industry plan to continue working toward improving quality of care, addressing workforce challenges and advocating for fair regulation and reimbursements. Clif Porter, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center […]
Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) announced several executive promotions on Thursday, appointing Nikhil Chaudhri and Tim McHugh as the company’s co-presidents. In addition to their roles as joint presidents, Chaudhri will also serve as chief investment officer (CIO), after having overseen $11 billion in global investments over the years, while McHugh will also continue his role […]
Ninety-two nursing homes have filed a federal lawsuit against the New York State Department of Health (DOH), as the agency approved no reimbursement for older facilities needing capital improvements in 2025. This is an addendum to the state’s 10% reduction for the industry approved in April. The cost-cutting amendment adopted by the state DOH and […]
Entries are open through Jan. 15 for the inaugural WTWH Healthcare and Skilled Nursing News Executives to Watch program. Today’s executives face particularly daunting challenges – and especially promising opportunities. While steering their organizations through high inflation, staffing shortages, tight capital markets and other headwinds, they are also leading the way on transformational changes related […]
New reporting requirements related to acute respiratory illnesses for nursing homes will take effect on Jan. 1, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Nursing homes must report data related to, but not limited to, the flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The rule essentially replaces existing reporting requirements. Questions pertaining […]
Last week’s finalized 2.83% cut to the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), which follows a series of payment reductions of recent years for rehab and therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries, is raising concerns about tightening access to such care in nursing homes, with physicians calling the situation unsustainable. For physicians, this particular cut in the PFS […]
Katie Plendl, executive director at Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls, Health Dimensions Group, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Skilled Nursing News. To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40-years-old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how […]
Medicare Advantage’s prior authorization process has resulted in higher denial rates among three of the largest health insurance providers, whose use of predictive AI tools raises serious concerns about patient care, according to a new report issued by a Senate subcommittee on Thursday. “[F]or beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage [prior authorization] has become not just a […]
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday, marking the first reduction in four years and reflecting a shift aimed at supporting economic growth as inflation shows signs of moderation. Financial experts in the nursing home industry hailed the Fed’s action as “welcome relief.” “[This] is welcome relief for skilled […]
Kaiser Permanente announced the permanent closure of its last nursing home in California, resulting in 249 job losses across various roles. The job cuts involve administrators, physical therapists, dietitians, licensed vocational nurses, and certified nursing assistants. The decision to shut down the facility follows a gradual decline in patient numbers over the last 11 years, […]
In the first half of the year, long-term care construction volume in the public sector outpaced the private sector, with labor shortages and material costs still keeping prices up. According to the Senior Living Construction Costs Brief for Summer 2024 released on Tuesday, public sector construction volume grew 11% compared to the same period last […]
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