CMS estimates the impact of the proposed payment policies would be a loss of about $320 million in Medicare Part A payments to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in FY 2023 compared to FY 2022.
On July 5, letters signed by 22 U.S. senators led by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), and another signed by 18 U.S. representatives led by...
As nursing homes across the country are grappling with staff shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration is considering a rule that nursing homes spend most of their Medicaid payments on direct care for residents rather than operations or capital improvements.
According to Modern Healthcare, the rule would...
Some good news for the industry with skilled nursing property occupancy reaching 76.7%, its highest level in February since April 2020 and Arizona reporting only a 3% rise in facilities reporting staffing shortages since 2020, but according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, the sector only added 900 jobs...
The BA.2 variant, also known as the "stealth Omicron," is now the dominant coronavirus version in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries. This week, Philadelphia became the first major city in the U.S. to announce that it would return to mandating masks in public spaces due to the spread of BA.2. Meanwhile, Arizona, the Centers for...
On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) filed the Fiscal Year 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Proposed Rule. The reimbursements include a 3.9% increase to industry reimbursements, but in aggregate the impact of payment policies would result in a decrease of $320 million in...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Quick summary: the future is challenging for SNFs and it's not getting any better. From the report, "For skilled nursing facility (SNF) operators, the current operating environment puts tremendous pressure on operating margins due to the heavy reliance on government payment sources. The added pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic have...
The Biden Administration announced Friday a set of reforms aimed at improving the safety and quality of nursing home care. The reforms are intended to hold nursing home facilities accountable and promote transparency by implementing staffing requirements and strict quality standards, among other methods. The proposal has been met with...
Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, the massive social and climate spending bill that carries the promises of the Biden presidential platform. After several months of negotiations between democrats and revisions in the plan for how the bill would get passed, the bill is considerably smaller and...National News
Insurance premium increases, steadily declining occupancy rates, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have ravaged nursing homes across the country, leading to an estimated $94 billion shortfall by the end of 2021. A September AHCA member survey also reported that 71% of Arizona LTC facilities say their workforce situation has grown much...Arizona Comings & Goings
Maria Molina, former director of education and program development for Arizona Health Care Association, is now with Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science as the new diversity program director. Her role with AHCA has been filled internally by Krysten Dobson.
Although the CDC advises repeat testing and infection control support in order to curb COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes, Arizona lags seriously behind other states in terms of testing and providing assistance to affected facilities.
This week 10 nursing homes were cited for issues with infection control related issues during...National News
Conducted June 15-19, the poll surveyed 2,051 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Though the confidence in polls has diminished since November 8, the trends are significant. Only 35 percent of voters surveyed approve of the bill passed by the House last month. Nearly half of voters, 49...National News
May 4 the president praised the bill in the Rose Garden, disparaged it June 14.
During a lunch meeting with 15 GOP senators, Trump’s characterizations seemed to undercut attempts by Senate leaders to mollify conservatives who want restrictions in their chamber’s bill, such as cutting the Medicaid health care program for the poor...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Learn why coverage of preexisting conditions is a key issue in health insurance with respect to affordability and sustainability, and to outline varying approaches to addressing it.
A White Paper by Milliman
Authored by Tom Snook, an Advisor to The Hertel Report
Preexisting conditions - how to cover them and how to pay for that...National News
Senators will visit home states May 27-June 4
Senate committee and leadership staff will begin to frame the GOP version of the repeal and replace initiative despite an apparent lack of consensus on the goals. The Congressional Budget Office score of the House-passed American Health Care Act released Wednesday has not quelled...National News
In a vote of 217 to 213, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislature on Thursday, May 4th
The American Health Care Act eliminates tax penalties for people without health insurance, rolls back Medicaid expansion in favor of block grants, allow states to eliminate essential health benefits and create high risk pools for...
