Skilled Nursing News

Care Providers Oklahoma President & CEO Nico Gomez by Skilled Nursing News

The challenges of government reimbursement and shifting consumer demand have hit non-profits in the skilled nursing space particularly hard. Many of them have exited the business entirely, with independent non-profits and local governments moving to cut their losses and sell. Non-profit continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) have also shied away from the sector, with some companies exploring CCRC-like models without any skilled nursing at all. But Altenheim Senior Living, a CCRC in Strongsville, Ohio, has no plans to eliminate its skilled nursing presence. The non-profit has 170 skilled nursing beds, and got its start more than 100 years ago as a nursing home. That said, it has moved to diversify its offerings in the face of increasing reimbursement pressures. In this episode of Rethink, Altenheim CEO Paul Psota discussed the company’s evolution in the changing skilled nursing world, as well as the role of skilled nursing in senior living. Listen to this episode to hear: -How Altenheim began evolve beyond skilled nursing, starting with assisted living -Why it decided to purchase an outpatient therapy provider -How SNFs can benefit from short-term rehab amid the push to lower-cost settings

Stephen Rosenberg founded Greystone 30 years ago with the modest goal of forming his own consulting shop after an executive stint at Dean Witter Reynolds. But over time, Rosenberg and Greystone built a name for themselves in the health care and multifamily housing lending space, growing to encompass a portfolio of $34 billion — with a major stake in the government-backed financing of skilled nursing facilities. Listen to this episode of Rethink to hear Rosenberg discuss: - Why investors are increasingly coming around to the idea of skilled nursing facilities as long-term winners - How the Greystone team evaluates deals - What types of skilled nursing properties are increasingly hitting the market - And more!

Amid the revolution sweeping Medicare reimbursements for skilled nursing facilities — from PDPM to value-based purchasing — Medicaid has quietly emerged as a prime threat to operators across the country. Reimbursement rates in multiple states don't cover the daily cost of caring for Medicaid residents, forcing buildings to close or endure disruptive receiverships across the country. As the CEO and founder of law firm sb2 Inc., Chad Bogar has dedicated his career to helping residents and operators solve their Medicaid problems through the courts and other mechanisms designed to protect them. Listen to this episode of Rethink to learn: 1. How providers can apply Medicaid victories won in other states to their operators 2. Why federal law trumps state regulations on Medicaid rates 3. How Bogar and operators in fought the government over long-delayed Medicaid claims 4. And more strategies for Medicaid success

Skilled nursing provider OnPointe and its CEO, Eric Tanner, are all in on care coordination, with a specific focus on determining what hospitals want to hear when looking for preferred post-acute partners. Despite a recent setback with landlord MedEquities, Tanner remains upbeat about OnPointe's position in the marketplace, focusing on the ways his company's buildings can solve local hospitals' costliest problems — and in turn become their top choice for referrals as he builds a post-acute company that includes SNFs, home health, and hospice services. Listen to the latest episode of Rethink to discover: - How SNFs can learn to speak hospitals' language - Ways providers can innovate despite tight budgets - The future of the short-term rehabilitation model - ...And much more!

Earlier this year, Betsy Rust and Plante Moran released a report with a fairly explosive thesis: Margins for skilled nursing facilities had actually been on the rise between 2016 and 2017. But the senior care advisory firm was quick to point out that the report only considered Medicare reimbursements — with Medicare Advantage and Medicaid strains working to wipe out the Medicare fee-for-service gains. SNN invited Rust to expand on her findings on the latest episode of "Rethink: The Future of Skilled Nursing." In our conversation, Rust offered concrete tips for how providers can navigate the Medicare Advantage world despite a lack of public information on rates, as well as how the ongoing stressors in the SNF marketplace could inspire operators to make strange — but profitable — bedfellows. Listen to this episode of Rethink to learn:  - The metrics Plante Moran evaluates when advising buyers in today's market - How partnering with competitors might bring mutual benefits - The outlook for Medicare Advantage under PDPM - ...And much more!

By making patient condition and characteristics the driver of reimbursement, over the number of therapy minutes provided to a patient, the Patient-Driven Payment Model coming in October has changed the game for rehabilitation and skilled nursing providers alike. And Aegis Therapies, which is based in Frisco, Texas and provides third-party rehabilitation to more than 500 nursing homes and senior care facilities, has to prove its value to the skilled nursing facilities where it offers services. Aegis President and CEO Martha Schram thinks there’s opportunity in the new system, even though it will come with new challenges for third-party rehab. In her conversation with Rethink, Schram talked about the need for new conversations between rehab providers and SNFs, and how rehab has to take outcomes into consideration as the industry prepares for PDPM. Download the episode to learn about: - How third-party rehab has evolved in skilled nursing - Why skilled nursing could get value from the infrastructure of a rehab provider - The need for third-party rehab to go beyond therapy delivery under PDPM

Based on the last few years, Genesis Healthcare should be on the ropes — significant quarterly losses, lease restructurings, and public criticism from one of its primary landlords have weighed on the skilled nursing giant. But the Kennett Square, Pa.-based operator closed out 2018 with cautious optimism, both from financial analysis firm Stifel and CEO George Hager, who predicts smoother sailing ahead in 2019. In his conversation with Rethink, Hager firmly pushed back on current industry wisdom that bigger isn’t necessarily better in skilled nursing, and laid out his vision for what the industry will look like under the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM). Download this episode to hear Hager discuss: -Why Genesis’s scale — around 400 buildings across 29 states — is actually an asset, and not a liability -How Genesis keeps the pulse of local markets despite its size -What PDPM will mean for third-party rehabilitation providers and skilled nursing operators alike

From the federal government to Avalere Health to the advisory firm that bears her name, Anne Tumlinson has been a leading voice on the business of long-term health care in the United States. As CEO of Anne Tumlinson Innovations, she hears from providers around the country, who tell her about their struggles and successes with new payment models — including managed Medicare and accountable care organizations. In our conversation, Tumlinson said she’s no longer comfortable telling providers that all they need to survive in the new landscape is a solid set of data proving good outcomes. The reality is much more complicated than that, and success could require operators to band together to negotiate the best rates moving forward. Download this episode of Rethink to hear: - Why providers partnering with their competitors might be the path to success in some markets - Why consumers choose Medicare Advantage plans, and why seniors may not always understand what that decision might mean for nursing home coverage - How operators can navigate the dual — and dueling — worlds of fee-for-service Medicare and new payment models

Rick Matros has made a name for himself as one of the most outspoken leaders in the long-term health care space, offering blunt assessments of certain operators’ business models and the future of the skilled nursing industry at large. Listen to our interview with Matros and hear: -- How Sabra plans to grow in the years ahead after adding CCP’s assets and shedding Genesis’s properties -- Matros’s take on the Welltower-ProMedica deal, as well as the potential for similar collaborations between post-acute operators and hospital providers -- What role REITs will play in skilled nursing investment in the years to come