“Changes to nursing home survey protocols — set to take effect April 28 — are putting a sharper focus on resident rights, documentation practices, and medication oversight. The revisions demand airtight documentation, particularly around discharge, behavioral health interventions and psychotropic drug use.”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News- April 23, 2025

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has again delayed its mandatory provider revalidation program for nursing homes, this time giving providers until Aug. 1 to report far more organizational ties than were previously required.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News- April 16, 2025

“On April 11, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule for updates to Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2026. CMS is publishing this proposed rule consistent with the legal requirements to update Medicare payment policies for SNFs annually. This fact sheet discusses the major provisions of the proposed rule.”

Article by: CMS.gov – April 11, 2025

“Washington, D.C. – Today, The American Health Care Association (AHCA) representing approximately 15,000 nursing homes and long term care facilities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released the following statement regarding the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruling in AHCA and the other plaintiffs’ favor to vacate the Biden Administration’s federal staffing mandate for nursing homes.”

Article by: AHCA Press Release – April 7, 2025

“States looking to change how they dole out their share of civil monetary penalties to support nursing home quality improvement are in a holding pattern as the federal government continues its communication freeze.”

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – March 31, 2025

“Amid much expected partisan needling and ingratiating questioning, nursing home operators received an encouraging sign during the Senate confirmation hearing for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz on Friday.

While remaining outwardly noncommittal as to whether he would be in favor of killing the controversial nursing home staffing mandate enacted by the previous administration, Oz said the issue would be one of the first he would address if he is confirmed.”

Article by: McKnight Senior Living – March 17, 2025

“Federal regulators have delayed survey enforcement of updated nursing home operational guidance an additional month.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service announced the delay in a revised memo Friday, without giving any explanation. Surveyors are now being told to use the updated State Operations Manual, Appendix PP Guidance effective April 28.”

Article by: McKnight Senior Living – March 7, 2025

“The Department of Health and Human Services plans to revoke public participation from many of its rule-making processes, according to a policy set to be published in the Federal Register Monday.

Under the Administrative Procedure Act, or APA, agencies are generally required to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking and provide an opportunity for the public to participate in rulemaking through the submission of written data, views or arguments.”

Article by: McKnight Senior Living – March 1, 2025

“Bringing therapy services in-house for the first time in 20 years has brought many benefits to Trinity Senior Services’ Milwaukee Catholic Home and its employees, TSS Rehabilitation Services Director Jackie Grossoehme told the McKnight’s Business Daily.

In addition to greater integration of services across all locations, she said, “This shift has not only streamlined communication and care coordination but has also had a positive impact on staff morale, reenergizing the team by fostering a stronger sense of community and collaboration.”

Article by: McKnight Senior Living – February 26, 2025

“After waiting more than nine months, skilled nursing providers are getting their first look at updated and unfrozen quality measures that are likely contributing to lower star ratings sector-wide.

Analysis shows more than 4,000 nursing homes lost at least one star in Care Compare’s quality domain compared to previous data, which had remained the same since April 2024.”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – February 19, 2025

“With overlooked reimbursement opportunities in the Payment-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) relatively common, nursing home operators can start to improve by focusing on some key areas where money is commonly left on the table.”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – February 10, 2025

“A soon-to-expand prohibition on nursing homes’ use of third-party financial guarantees could lead to more operators using lawsuits to collect as residents’ unpaid debt becomes a bigger financial concern.

That warning comes as regulators move to target admission and billing policies that mimic financial guarantees — even if they don’t technically require third-parties to “guarantee” they’ll pay for a friend, family member or other associate’s stay.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – January 28, 2025

“President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded several Biden-era executive orders affecting seniors and the healthcare sector, while promising in his inauguration speech to roll out additional health-centric measures later this week. 

On day one of his second term, Trump also placed a freeze on all new federal regulation, including pausing any rules that had been proposed or finalized but not yet taken effect. The administration is giving itself at least 60 days to review “issues of fact, law, and policy … and consider reevaluating pending petitions involving such rules.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – January 22, 2025

“A federal judge has denied a request to temporarily halt implementation of the federal nursing home staffing mandate, saying that the appeal made by 20 states and 18 LeadingAge state affiliates came up short on virtually all levels.

“[W]ith regard to nearly every aspect of the final rule, the plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that a preliminary injunction is necessary in order to preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm,” wrote US District Judge Leonard T. Strand of the US District Court for Northern Iowa in his much-anticipated ruling Thursday.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – January 16, 2025

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will offer nursing students up to $40,000 in tuition reimbursement and/or $10,000 outright to work for a nursing home or state survey agency, the agency said Wednesday afternoon in an email to stakeholders.

In return, selected nurses will have to work three years for a qualifying provider or state. Both classes of employers have suffered extreme shortages of registered nurses in recent years.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – January 8, 2025

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently shared details on  expanded reporting requirements for acute respiratory illnesses in nursing homes. The new requirements began Jan. 1.

The rules mandate that skilled nursing facilities and long-term care (LTC) communities report data on the flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory illnesses. The memo explaining the requirements was published on Dec. 31.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – January 2, 2025

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued details on a national staffing campaign for the nursing home sector, aimed at increasing the number of nurses working in nursing homes and at state agencies that inspect nursing homes for compliance. The campaign continues the initiatives outlined in April, which ties $75 million funded by federal civil monetary penalties collected for certain types of noncompliance, to a national staffing campaign.“

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – December 16, 2024

“The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Thursday reviewed a draft  recommendation calling for a 3% reduction to traditional, Fee-for-Service Medicare. It reflects a trend dating to at least 2022, even given the increased prevalence of lower-paying Medicare Advantage plans, the departure of COVID-era emergency funding from the sector and continued Medicaid underpayments on behalf of long-stay patients.”

Article by: McKnights Long-Term Care News – December 13, 2024

“New nursing home compliance guidance issued by a federal watchdog agency includes several new provisions that indicate executives and investors could face more scrutiny in years ahead.”

Article by: McKnights Long-Term Care News – December 3, 2024

“In the latest development related to litigation against the federal nursing home staffing mandate, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is urging a federal judge to deny the injunctive relief requested by 21 state attorneys general and several providers.

The DOJ on Nov. 21 filed a memo with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, arguing that while operators may be unhappy with the nursing home staffing mandate and the effect it may have on their business practices, this alone doesn’t make for a successful challenge nor entitle them to the “extraordinary remedy” of a preliminary injunction.”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – November 26, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Tuesday it is pursuing further limits on Medicare Advantage plans’ use of prior authorization and artificial intelligence as “barriers to care.”

Officials billed the Contract Year 2026 MA and Part D proposed rule as a response to mounting calls from consumers, providers and members of Congress to institute reforms related to coverage decisions. Insurers often defend the extensive use of prior authorization and artificial intelligence tools as “utilization management,” or an effort to contain costs.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – November 26, 2024

“The changes, which were shared in an advance copy of a 900-page document, focus on a variety of areas, ranging from admission agreements and medication management to infection control and health equity considerations. The new guidance for State Survey Agencies (SAs) aims to streamline the survey process and eliminate overlapping citations.“

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – November 19, 2024

“After being besieged by concerned skilled nursing providers and their national advocacy groups, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week quietly extended a quick-turnaround deadline it had imposed for every US nursing home to revalidate its ownership information.“

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – November 11, 2024

“A day after President-elect Donald Trump claimed a surprisingly decisive victory, many long-term care stakeholders were looking forward to sweeping policy changes. But some experts also warned Wednesday that the Trump win will cut both ways.

Providers hope to seize on Trump’s anti-regulatory outlook, reverse the Biden administration’s onerous new staffing requirements set to go into effect starting in 2026 and undo current opposition to for-profit nursing home ownership.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – November 6, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is putting more pressure on state survey agencies to “identify appropriate deficiencies” and complete other tasks triggered by routine annual surveys.

But a new scoring element for those agencies shouldn’t be seen as an attempt to create a deficiency quota, federal leaders told state agency directors this week.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 25, 2024

“Nursing home complaint investigations do not require a registered nurse to be part of the on-site inspection team, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

In a 2-1 decision, a US Court of Appeals panel decided that complaint investigations are not technically surveys as determined by Congress, and therefore can be made up of a less representative group of investigators.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 22, 2024

“Refusal of Recovery: How Medicare Advantage Insurers Have Denied Patients Access to Post-Acute Care” examined data and internal documents from UnitedHealthcare, Humana and CVS to better understand how the big three use prior authorization as a cost-cutting tool. It investigated a range of post-acute placements, but reduced access to skilled nursing facilities is called out perhaps most extensively in the 54-page report.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 18, 2024

“A recent ruling in a Florida False Claims Act case may give the Supreme Court the opening it has wanted to review whether whistleblowers can act on behalf of the government to bring lawsuits against healthcare providers.

The law’s qui tam provision encourages the role of insiders, or whistleblowers, in gathering the evidence federal prosecutors need to pursue a case. But often, including in many allegations against skilled nursing operators, those whistleblowers continue to drag out costly court action even after the government declines to intervene.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 16, 2024

“Twenty state attorneys general sued Wednesday to strike down a federal nursing home staffing mandate that one official called “an attack on senior care.”

The case, filed against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in federal court in Iowa, represents a new front in the battle against the months-sold staffing rule. It was also joined by 19 LeadingAge affiliates.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 10, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Tuesday will begin more closely monitoring the use of anticonvulsants in nursing homes, adding new reporting requirements to the Minimum Data Set.

The move is seen largely as a response to a critical 2022 Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General report that found nursing homes had increased their use of such drugs even as they reduced reliance on other psychotropic drugs.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News – October 1, 2024

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision regarding civil monetary penalties (CMPs), which allows defendants the right to present their case to a federal jury when a federal agency is seeking financial penalties, may seem like a win for nursing homes at first glance. However, many providers are unlikely to pursue this path.“

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – September 25, 2024

“WASHINGTON, DC – Despite saying he had no idea who will become the next US president, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt was confident Monday that the provider community has little reason to fear any quick dramatic changes to entitlement programs, regulatory oversight or immigration policies after the upcoming election.“

Article by: CMS.gov – September 23, 2024

“With the help of our contractors, we revised the SNF ABN, Form CMS-10055, and the form instructions.  The SNF ABN form and instructions are located in the download section and are available for immediate use, but will be mandatory for use on 10/31/2024.”

Article by: CMS.gov – September 11, 2024

“This is an informational document that includes hyperlinks (links) that have been identified as requiring an update over the lifetime of the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual v1.19.1, effective October 01, 2024. Due to external webpage changes, links may occasionally redirect or become unreachable, or the information provided on the webpage may change. To ensure all links remain current, a list of non-functional/out-of-date links has been compiled, each with an up-to-date replacement link. Replacement pages for each affected page of the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual v1.19.1 can be found following the list.”

Article by: CMS.gov – September 4, 2024

“A Texas judge late last month struck down a nationwide ban on noncompete agreements that was supposed to take effect this Wednesday.

Existing noncompete agreements will therefore now remain in place. And employers may still ask you to sign one as a condition of employment. That is, unless and until a higher court decides otherwise, or Congress passes a law prohibiting it. But, if that does happen, it could take years.”

Article by: CNN – September 2, 2024

“The American Health Care Association, LeadingAge and four other parties in a lawsuit challenging the federal nursing home staffing mandate have told the case’s judge they expect a decision to be reached on motions alone and proposed a schedule that could lead to a resolution as early as January. 

The motion, filed Friday, reveals AHCA’s intention to seek summary judgment by mid-October. Summary judgment allows a judge to decide a case based on submitted briefs and oral arguments, without the need to advance to a trial.“

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – August 14, 2024

“After three months of preparation, skilled nursing providers across the country were required late last week to complete their first enhanced facility assessment.

The broader look at resident and staffing needs will be used to support the federal staffing mandate, whose more specific hourly staffing requirements begin to come into play in 2026.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – August 12, 2024

Click Here to see a one page summary of the final rule, prepared by AHCA

“Nursing homes will be getting a 4.2% Medicare Part A pay raise under the fiscal 2025 final pay rule issued Wednesday. Providers also will be facing a more aggressive fines system, with civil monetary penalties now applicable in more instances.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – July 31, 2024

“Medicare Advantage provides health coverage to more than half of the nation’s seniors, but some hospitals and health systems are opting to end their contracts with MA plans over administrative challenges.

Among the most commonly cited reasons are excessive prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers.”

Article by: Becker’s Hospital CFO Report – July 22, 2024

“When the Biden administration dropped the final version of its nursing home staffing mandate in April, it was Vice President Kamala Harris who suddenly became the face of the initiative.“

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – July 22, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday that it will begin posting certain nursing home ownership information, as well as aggregated MDS data for all residents at a facility, both for the first time, and issue new guides for consumers, on the Nursing Home Compare website.”

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – July 1, 2024

“Skilled nursing providers have been sounding the alarm for years on Medicare Advantage coverage access, especially when informed by AI and other algorithms. Sector leaders have frequently noted that these methods can deny or prematurely end coverage for patients who need it to afford necessary long-term care.” 

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – June 26, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued updated guidance that surveyors will use to weigh nursing homes’ compliance with expanded facility assessment requirements included in the minimum staffing rule.”

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – June 19, 2024

“A California bill that would require private equity firms and hedge funds to obtain prior approval from the state attorney general for certain healthcare-related transactions is one step closer to becoming law following the State Assembly’s passage of the legislation late last month..“

Article by: McKnight Senior Living – June 7, 2024

“The American Health Care Association (AHCA), joined by the Texas Health Care Association (THCA) and several Texas long term care facilities filed a lawsuit late Thursday in the Northern District of Texas against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for exceeding their statutory authority and arbitrarily and capriciously issuing the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities final rule.“

Article by: AHCA – May 24, 2024

“A rare congressional resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives Tuesday that presents a new opportunity for federal lawmakers to block the nursing home staffing mandate.

Lawmakers can use the Congressional Review Act to nullify regulations enacted by executive branch agencies. Reps. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and Greg Pence (R-IN) introduced a measure calling for a review of the nursing home rule, which they have also moved to block through proactive legislation.”

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – May 16, 2024

“Two key bills that would allow nursing homes more flexibility to train certified nursing assistants onsite and extend telehealth access through 2026 cleared a major hurdle at a markup session before the US House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday.“

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News – May 9, 2024

“Today, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule to promote competition by banning noncompetes nationwide, protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation, and fostering new business formation.“

Article by: Federal Trade Commission – April 23, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it would exempt nursing homes from having registered nurse coverage for up to 8 out of 24 hours a day “under certain circumstances,” unveiling a critical new detail in the second part of today’s staffing rule rollout.“

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – April 23, 2024

“Nursing homes will be required to deliver 3.48 hours of daily direct care per patient under a final staffing mandate issued this morning.

A White House statement on the rule today said that 3.0 hours must be split between registered nurses at 0.55 hours and 2.45 hours for certified nurse aides. The remaining time was not immediately defined by the White House release, and the full rule text was not available.“

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – April 22, 2024

“CMS is proposing that SNFs will be required to report one item related to living situation, two items related to food, and one item related to utilities as standardized patient assessment data under the SDOH category.“

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – April 18, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is testing out a payment model that would cover all costs associated with an episode of care, including a skilled nursing stay, but it appears that select hospitals would be in the driver’s seat if approved.“

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – April 11, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Thursday proposed a 4.1% pay increase for nursing homes in fiscal 2025 but declined to issue an update on its staffing minimum proposal as part of its annual payment rule proposal.

In addition, the agency has proposed an expanded Civil Monetary Penalty process that would allow “for more per instance and per day” to be imposed.“

Article by: McKnight Long Term Care News – March 29, 2024

“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a webinar Tuesday focused on data submission related to quality reporting requirements for nursing homes. The session centered on three primary data sources: Minimum Data Set (MDS), Medicare Fee-for-Service claims, and the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – March 26, 2024

“According to Northwind Group’s Ran Eliasaf and Jonathan Slusher, investments in nursing homes are benefiting from the view change for the entire health care sector in general, but also due to a realization among investors that nursing homes are highly regulated – and operationally sound.”

Article by: Skilled Nursing News – March 15, 2024

“HHS’ first priority is to help coordinate efforts to avoid disruptions to care throughout the healthcare system,” HHS spokespersons said. “This incident is a reminder of the interconnectedness of the domestic healthcare ecosystem and of the urgency of strengthening cybersecurity resiliency across the ecosystem.”

Article by: US Department of HHS and McKnight’s Long Term Care News – March 7, 2024

The CDC recommends “returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.”

Article by: (HealthDay News) McKnight’s Long Term Care News- March 4, 2024

Healthcare providers were forced to pay a historic $2.7 billion to resolve federal False Claims Act allegations last year, an escalation that will likely allow the government to support even more investigations in years to come.

There are plenty of factors that could point to more investigations in the post-acute and long-term care space this year and beyond.

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News- February 26, 2024

Staffing measures used to calculate nursing homes’ federal ratings will freeze in April, further complicating a system based on often outdated and constantly changing metrics, experts warned last week.

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News- February 20, 2024

Facing the mounting financial challenges of providing skilled care on their campuses, continuing care retirement communities should carefully weigh a variety of tactics and the particularities of local markets, a panel of experts advised Thursday.

Article by: McKnight’s Long Term Care News- February 16, 2024