Our long-term care news is continually updated from dozens of sources around our industry and the web.
McKnights (02/06/2023) – Nursing homes in Washington state may get a reprieve from a labor crisis that is stranding potential residents in hospitals.
Unable to attract enough workers to meet staffing minimums, many nursing homes across the US have closed wings or units or restricted new admissions over the past year. That means hospitals have far fewer options when it comes time to refer patients for post-acute care. Full story »
McKnights (02/03/2023) – Federal efforts to rein in Medicare Advantage spending and recoup payments awarded for improper diagnoses will likely lead to even more financial pressure on nursing homes that serve plan beneficiaries, according to experts who monitor managed care.
The latest blow for insurers came Wednesday evening, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced its proposed payment notice for 2024. It would effectively cut average pay to MA plans by 2.3% next year when factoring in coding and data conversions. Full story »
McKnights (01/30/2023) – President Joe Biden has told members of Congress that he will end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, about a month after the current extension expires.
The announcement was widely reported by media in Washington Monday night. Full story »
Skilled Nursing News (01/30/2023) – Nursing home providers should expect more government scrutiny related to Covid-19 relief funding.
This is one message from Matthew Murer, the health care, public policy and government investigations department chair for the national health care practice of law firm Polsinelli.
“I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by audits of CARES Act funding they received, and PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] funding,” Murer told Skilled Nursing News at the recent American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. “ … Every single case we have with the Department of Justice … they are looking at whether you received those funds and how did you account for them.” Full story »
Skilled Nursing News (01/30/2023) – Major changes to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) later this year will have “huge ripple effects,” but skilled nursing leaders are still struggling to understand the full implications given a lack of information.
This is the perspective of Joel VanEaton, EVP of post-acute care regulatory affairs and education at Broad River Rehab.
“All of my questions are unanswered at this particular point,” he said of the MDS transition, speaking on the Skilled Nursing News RETHINK podcast. Full story »
McKnights (01/26/2023) – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday updated its consumer-facing nursing home website to show whether facilities were formally disputing cited deficiencies.
Just over 1,000 disputes were noted. Some of them date back several years in a system that is supposed to take 60 days to review challenges. Full story »
Skilled Nursing News (01/24/2023) – Rising costs in all areas of running a nursing home — not just labor — are squeezing profit margins, compelling providers to adjust operations, make investments and pursue innovations in a quest for greater efficiencies.
While skilled nursing facility operators try to get a grip on labor shortages, workforce costs surged by as much as 30% in 2022, according to some providers who spoke with Skilled Nursing News. But creeping food, beverage, equipment and supply prices, as well as insurance costs, are putting a strain on their budgets. They report costs in these areas increasing between roughly 5% and 15%, and more in some cases. Full story »
McKnights (01/24/2023) – A bipartisan group of US senators representing rural states is calling on the Biden Administration to halt its plan to mandate staffing levels in nursing homes, saying it’s the wrong step to take as facilities are already struggling to retain and hire professional staff.
“We fear a one-size-fits-all staffing mandate would undermine access to care for patients, particularly in rural communities,” reads a Jan. 20 letter from 13 senators to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Additionally, blanket staffing standards may not provide enough flexibility to nursing homes in light of well-known and long-standing obstacles to the recruitment and retention of direct care workers, especially in rural and underserved areas.” Full story »