CMS Gives SNFs 4% Pay Boost for 2024, Updates QRP

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule on Friday that will give skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) a much needed 4% pay increase in 2024.

The proposed rule contained a 3.7% increase but the final policy reflects a 3% market basket update in addition to 3.6% increase to correct previous forecasting errors and then a 2.3% reduction from recoupment due to the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Modern Healthcare reports.

But the industry is still waiting for the agency to release guidelines for nursing home staffing minimums with union leaders and patient advocacy groups pressuring the government to release those regulations. The American Health Care Association has asked the president to rescind the threat of federal staffing minimums or at least change federal immigration policy and take full responsibility for funding new staff, Axios reports.

The rule also updates the Quality Reporting program, which includes vaccination measures – The COVID-19 Vaccine: Percent of Patients/Residents Who are Up to Date –  as part of a facility’s quality in the Minimum Data Set (MDS0. Inside Health Policy also notes that the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Healthcare Personnel (HCP COVID-19 Vaccine) measure will be updated to require SNFs report the cumulative number of providers up to date on vaccines per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance.