How ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ Translates to Skilled Nursing Quality, Star Ratings
Larry H. Miller Senior Health is applying the “Unreasonable Hospitality” concept to its skilled‑nursing facilities, renovating 26 homes across 12 states with skylights, carpeted floors and scratch‑made meals. The operator says these upgrades have helped maintain consistent 5‑star CMS quality ratings and lift resident satisfaction. Initiatives also include standardizing Tempur‑Pedic mattresses and encouraging low‑cost staff gestures that make residents feel valued. The strategy is reinforced by active reputation management and word‑of‑mouth referrals as a growth engine.
How Bandera Works With Partners to Expand Nursing Home Service Lines
Bandera Healthcare, an Arizona operator of Ensign Group, is expanding its nursing‑home service lines through strategic partnerships with health plans, hospitals, and community agencies. The company now offers bariatric care, behavioral health, in‑house dialysis, substance‑abuse recovery and other specialized services...
18 CommuniCare Communities Worth $500M Reportedly Change Hands
CommuniCare is transferring ownership of 18 Maryland nursing homes, valued at roughly $500 million, to a group of family trusts controlled by businessman Jack Shelby. The properties span Greater Baltimore, the D.C. suburbs, Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, and will...
Senate Democrats: New Policies Needed to Improve Nursing Home Care Quality, Access
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden and 16 Senate Democrats released a letter outlining new policy proposals to improve long‑term‑care access, nursing‑home quality, and home‑care services. The plan calls for workforce incentives, higher staffing standards, wage and training improvements,...
CMS Plan to Expand Nursing Home Quality Reporting to All Payers Far Underestimates $88M Annual Cost Projection
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to broaden the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) so that admission and discharge assessments apply to every resident, regardless of payer. The rule, slated for the FY 2027...
CMS’ Health Care Fraud Clampdown Could Needlessly Burden Nursing Homes, With Advocates Urging a ‘Well-Calibrated’ Policy Instead
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the CRUSH (Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare) initiative to tighten fraud detection across Medicare and Medicaid, incorporating stricter provider screening, AI‑driven oversight, and faster claim deadlines. Nursing‑home providers and...
‘Case Mix Creep’: CMS Scrutinizes PDPM Coding Trends as SNF Providers Warned of Potential Margin Hits
CMS is scrutinizing a sharp rise in PDPM coding for conditions such as malnutrition, depression and swallowing disorders, fearing potential upcoding. The agency’s proposed SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) for July includes a 2.4% payment boost—about $888 million—but could be reduced...
Majestic Care Sees Nursing Home Recruitment, Quality Gains Through Certification Push
Majestic Care partnered with the American Association of Post‑Acute Care Nursing to offer AAPACN certifications, beginning with MDS coordinators and expanding to medical directors. The company now requires its MDS coordinators to obtain the RAC‑CT credential, a move that coincided...
Long-Term Care Pharmacy Giant Omnicare Wins Approval for Sale to GenieRx
CVS Health announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Texas has approved the sale of its long‑term care pharmacy subsidiary Omnicare to GenieRx Holdings. Omnicare, which serves skilled‑nursing and assisted‑living facilities in 47 states, entered Chapter 11 in September 2025 and...
PACS Strong 1Q Backed by Managed Care Census, Reimbursement, Occupancy Strength Amid the ‘Silver Tsunami’
PACS Group posted a robust first‑quarter 2026, with net income surging to $80.7 million and adjusted EBITDA climbing 75% to $170.4 million. Occupancy rose to 90.9%, far outpacing the industry’s 79% average, driven by higher skilled‑mix admissions and stronger managed‑care contracts. The...
SNN Dealbook: 3G Healthcare Real Estate Assists in Sale of Ohio SNF Despite Buyer Collapse, Medicaid Reset
3G Healthcare Real Estate closed the sale of a 99‑bed Ohio nursing home for $10.5 million, roughly $106,000 per bed, after two prospective buyers withdrew and a Medicaid rate reset cut per‑day reimbursement by about $50. The deal shifted from a...
State Reverses Managed Medicaid for Nursing Homes After $91M Cost Spike in First Year
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed bill HEA 1277, ending the state’s PathWays managed‑care Medicaid program for nursing‑home residents and reverting them to a fee‑for‑service (FFS) model starting July 1, 2027. A recent analysis showed PathWays cost the state $91 million more per year than...
Positive ‘Spillover Effects’: Nursing Homes Should Hitch Themselves to ACOs as CMS Expands Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is rolling out the Long‑term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) program in January 2027, inviting nursing homes to join existing accountable care organizations (ACOs). More than half of Medicare fee‑for‑service beneficiaries are already...
‘Firing on All Cylinders’: CareTrust Closes $865M in Mostly Nursing Home Deals in April
CareTrust REIT announced it closed 12 transactions in early April totaling about $865 million, largely focused on U.S. skilled‑nursing facilities. The deals push the company’s year‑to‑date investment volume to roughly $1.1 billion with a blended stabilized yield near 8.9%. Management highlighted a...
American Healthcare REIT: Trilogy’s MA Strategy, Integrated Nursing Home-AL Campuses Drive Margins
American Healthcare REIT (AHR) highlighted Trilogy Health Services' integrated skilled‑nursing and assisted‑living model, which delivered 14.5% same‑store NOI growth and 91.2% occupancy in Q1. The fee‑free CCRC‑style campuses attracted higher Medicare Advantage rates and strong private‑pay mix, pushing same‑store NOI...
LTC Properties’ Malin Cites ‘Attractive’ Pricing for Nursing Home Assets Amid Limited Sector Headwinds
LTC Properties said it will sell skilled‑nursing facilities only opportunistically, using proceeds to fund higher‑growth senior‑housing‑operating‑portfolio (SHOP) assets. The REIT highlighted an EBITDAR coverage ratio approaching two‑times, underscoring the strength of its remaining SNF holdings. About $265 million from recent SNF...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: LeadingAge Affiliates Approve Regional Merger Across Four States; Enzo Health Secures $20M Funding
LeadingAge Massachusetts and LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire approved a regional merger that will create a single association serving providers in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The combined entity aims to bolster advocacy, workforce support and...
NHI May Sell More Nursing Home Assets, Open to Offers Above Operating Partner’s $560M Pending Deal
National Health Investors (NHI) is accelerating its exit from skilled nursing facilities, highlighted by a pending $560 million sale of 32 nursing homes and three independent‑living sites to operator National HealthCare Corp. The REIT is also open to higher written offers...
PACS, Cantex, Venza Care Execs on ‘Highly Engineered’ Tech Deployment in Nursing Homes, Driving M&A, Compliance and Metrics
Nursing‑home operators are scaling technology investments to boost visibility, compliance and M&A efficiency. PACS Group, which runs 325 facilities and 32,208 beds across 18 states, uses a proprietary tech platform and an AI committee to evaluate acquisitions and enforce repeatable...
All-or-Nothing: Inside CMS Audits of Nursing Home Quality Measures and Their Impact on Reimbursement and Star Ratings
CMS has launched a new data‑validation audit for nursing homes under the Quality Reporting Program, selecting about 1,500 facilities (roughly 10% of the 15,300 certified homes) in early 2026. Facilities must acknowledge the notice within five business days and submit...
State Lawmakers Push Emergency Prep Overhaul in Nursing Homes, Citing Past Saber Facility Fire
Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a bill that would require nursing homes to share their emergency response plans with local police, fire and rescue agencies. The legislation was spurred by the deadly Saber Healthcare explosion in Bristol, which left three residents dead...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: Ensign Acquires 17 Texas Facilities; PACS Expands in Alaska With Plans to Build 150-Bed Facility
Ensign Group announced the acquisition of 15 stand‑alone skilled nursing facilities and two continuing‑care retirement communities in Texas, adding more than 2,000 nursing beds and 100 senior‑living units. The deal, effective May 1 2026, expands Ensign’s portfolio to 395 health‑care operations across...
Ensign CEO: Nursing Home Demand Is Strong Despite Fluctuating Volume, Payer Scrutiny
Ensign Group reported record occupancy and an 18.4% year‑over‑year revenue jump to $1.33 billion in Q1, underscoring strong demand for skilled nursing despite fluctuating patient volumes and heightened payer scrutiny. The company highlighted robust growth in managed‑care and Medicare censuses, up...
OIG Report: 73% of Nursing Homes Face Emergency Power Failures, Many Lack Backup Systems
An Office of the Inspector General audit found that 73 percent of the United States’ more than 15,000 nursing homes operate with inadequate or unreliable emergency power. The review of 100 Medicare‑ and Medicaid‑certified facilities uncovered 119 deficiencies, including 40...
Sabra CEO: Skilled Nursing Deal Flow Tight Amid Fierce Competition From OpCo and PropCo Private Buyers
Sabra Health Care REIT is pivoting away from skilled‑nursing assets toward its Seniors Housing Operating Portfolio (SHOP), with private‑pay revenue now representing over 50% of the portfolio for the first time. The CEO said skilled‑nursing deal flow remains tight as...
Dr. Wayne Tasker, Director of Behavioral Health Services, TeamHealth
Dr. Wayne Tasker, TeamHealth’s director of behavioral health, discusses his path from adolescent substance‑abuse work to geriatric behavioral health and the rise of person‑centered dementia care in skilled nursing facilities. He outlines simple communication rules—30‑second pause, single‑step commands, and eye...
Omega’s Gourmand Sees Nursing Home Sector Investments as ‘Long-Term, Secular Plays’ Amid CommuniCare Divestments
Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) reaffirmed its bullish stance on skilled nursing facilities, labeling them long‑term, secular plays despite recent divestments of CommuniCare assets. The REIT deployed $326 million in Q1 2026, highlighted by a $109 million purchase of 13 Georgia facilities yielding...
Remote Areas See Sharpest Drops in Nursing Home Residents Amid Preference for Home-Based Services
Between 2015 and 2025 the U.S. nursing home stock shrank 6%, with rural facilities accounting for half the closures. Resident numbers fell fastest in remote rural areas, dropping 19% versus an 8% decline in urban settings, signaling a shift toward...
CMS Veteran Blum Warns a Version of the Nursing Home Staffing Rule Could Return After November
Former CMS chief operating officer Jonathan Blum warned that a version of the controversial nursing‑home staffing mandate could be revived after the November midterms if Democrats regain control of the House. He told the LTC 100 Leadership conference that policymakers must...
‘Low-Hanging Fruit’: Nationwide Survey of Nursing Home Staff Shows Easy Fixes for Retention Amid Managed Care, PDPM Burdens
A nationwide AAPACN/LTC 100 survey of 489 skilled‑nursing‑facility nurses shows 65% overall job happiness but highlights documentation duplication across Medicaid, PDPM and managed‑care as a major stressor. Retention is driven by purpose, resident connections and a positive team culture, especially relationships...
‘It’s in Our DNA’: Nursing Home Giant PACS CEO on Compliance Transformation After Investigation, Growth, $100M Tech Investments
After a 2024 billing investigation, PACS Group (NYSE:PACS) revamped its compliance framework and poured roughly $100 million into technology, standardizing EMRs and real‑time dashboards across its 323 facilities. CEO Jason Murray says the changes have woven compliance into the company’s DNA,...
‘We’re Not Prepared to Replace Them’: Immigration Changes Hit Nursing Homes Hard, Undermining Workforce Stability
Recent U.S. immigration policy shifts—most notably a $100,000 fee for new H‑1B petitions and tighter temporary protected status rules—are threatening the nursing‑home labor pipeline. Immigrants already represent roughly 40% of staff at Georgia‑based A.G. Rhodes and 21‑25% nationwide, especially in...
Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Oversight in Medicare Advantage, Ensuring Nursing Home Residents’ Care ‘Without Delay, Without Denial’
Lawmakers introduced the bipartisan Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to tighten oversight of Medicare Advantage plans. The bill seeks to eliminate prior‑authorization delays, increase transparency, penalize non‑compliant insurers, and ban retroactive clawbacks. It also mandates automated administrative systems, prompt...
Voices: Freda Mowad, M.S., CCC-SLP, Chief Strategy Officer, Focal Point Care
Focal Point Care, launched a year ago, consolidates three specialized firms—Guided Care (managed‑care contracting), QRM (in‑house rehab management) and Future Care Consultants (billing and back‑office services)—to offer skilled‑nursing operators a single source for clinical, operational and financial support. The integrated...
Raise a Glass: ‘Grandparents Happy Hour’ Law Passed In Minnesota
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” law, removing the requirement that nursing homes and assisted‑living facilities hold a liquor license to serve alcohol. The change permits organized happy‑hour events for residents, with safeguards that staff serving drinks...
Optum CEO: Value-Based Care Drives Sharp Drop in Nursing Home Admissions
Optum’s value‑based care (VBC) program is driving a steep decline in skilled nursing facility (SNF) admissions, with a reported 35% drop in the first month compared to a year earlier. The company attributes the reduction to more data‑driven clinical management,...
![[UPDATED] NHI Agrees to $560M Sale of Nursing Home Portfolio to NHC](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://skillednursingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/02/tungart7-handshake-8733825_1920.jpg)
[UPDATED] NHI Agrees to $560M Sale of Nursing Home Portfolio to NHC
National Health Investors (NHI) agreed to sell a portfolio of 35 senior‑care properties, including 32 skilled nursing facilities and three independent living sites, to its operator National HealthCare Corp (NHC) for $560 million. The deal, slated to close on July 1, will...
On-Site ‘Dialysis Dens’ at Nursing Homes Boost Care Continuity, a Boon for VBC and Hospital Partnerships
On‑site dialysis “dens” are being introduced in nursing homes, with Eduro Healthcare piloting the model at one of its 40 facilities through a partnership with Rendevor Dialysis. The on‑site setup eliminates transport‑related delays, improves care coordination, and gives residents additional...
QAPI Is the Best Way to Make ‘Person-Centered Care’ Actionable in Nursing Homes, But Hurdles Remain
Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs are emerging as the most practical way to translate person‑centered care into actionable steps in nursing homes, but the lack of a federal definition hampers consistent adoption. Researchers from NYU Rory Meyers College of...
Class-Action Suit Over Alleged Understaffing at Alden Group Nursing Homes Moves Forward
A Cook County judge has allowed a proposed class‑action lawsuit against Alden Group, an Illinois nursing‑home operator, to move into the discovery phase. The suit, filed by the AARP Foundation and disability‑rights advocates, alleges Alden chronically operated with staffing levels...
‘Pressure Test’: How Surveyors Zero In on System Failures, Patterns and IJs in Nursing Home Oversight
CMS and state surveyors are moving away from blaming single errors and instead scrutinize systemic patterns, communication breakdowns, and repeatable risks during nursing‑home inspections. Experts Linzie Bugg and Amanda Odom explained that reviewers reconstruct timelines to spot missed escalations, misaligned...
State Bill Targets 9.11% Cut to Nursing Home Medicaid Payments Linked to Outdated Methodology
New Hampshire nursing homes are confronting a 9.11% Medicaid reimbursement cut, roughly $26.43 per resident per day, after a legacy case‑mix index formula produced outdated payment rates. A Senate‑passed bill would establish a MedPAC‑style working group to overhaul the state’s...
Inside Nursing Homes’ Smarter Infection Control, Efforts to Curb Antibiotic Overuse
Nursing homes are confronting a critical overlap between infection control and antimicrobial stewardship, as roughly 70% of residents receive antibiotics annually and 40% of those prescriptions are inappropriate. Federal regulations now tag both functions together, prompting facilities to adopt integrated,...
Nursing Home Report Shows Workforce Stability and Improved Quality Metrics, With 3.8% Drop in ER Visits
The American Health Care Association’s 2026 Quality Update shows nursing homes have made measurable gains in clinical outcomes and staffing stability since 2023. Emergency department visits for short‑stay residents fell 3.8%, avoiding more than 14,000 trips, while functional scores rose...
New CMS Grant Could Reward Nursing Homes with Clinical Integration and Lifestyle Care
CMS has launched the Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value‑based Approaches Through Evidence (ELEVATE) grant, allocating $100 million to up to 30 organizations that can demonstrate proven dementia, nutrition, exercise, sleep or social‑connection programs. The competitive cooperative‑agreement model opens to nursing homes,...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: 4-Facility Portfolio Sold in Oklahoma; Deals Also Close in New York, Nevada and Iowa
Plains Commercial Real Estate brokered the off‑market sale of a five‑building, 506‑bed skilled nursing portfolio in Oklahoma to a Northeast private‑equity firm expanding its geographic footprint. Additional transactions closed in Iowa, New York and Nevada, including a 60‑bed Cedar Rapids...
Nursing Homes in State Owed Almost $500M in Medicaid Back Payments Due to Managed Care Transition Delays
Indiana nursing homes are awaiting $462 million in Medicaid back payments after the state’s shift to managed care created administrative bottlenecks. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has not approved Indiana’s 2026 payment methodology, causing two quarterly disbursements to be...
‘It’s Not Logical’: State-Level Nursing Home Staffing Mandates and Policy Pressures Clash With Workforce Gains in 2026
Skilled‑nursing operators reported notable staffing improvements in 2025, driven by reduced agency reliance, stronger hiring pipelines, and paid training programs. Gurwin Healthcare lowered its turnover to 31%, a full 10 points below the industry average, while Journey eliminated most agency...
CareTrust Announces $119M in New Investments, Including Deal Tied to 5 Nursing Homes
CareTrust REIT announced the closing of two new investments totaling $119 million, including a five‑facility skilled‑nursing portfolio in the Midwest and a senior‑housing campus in Southern California. The Midwest assets comprise 506 licensed beds and are financed through a mortgage loan...
Same Services, Sicker Individuals, Less Time: Daily Frustrations with Medicare Advantage as Acuity Rises in Nursing Homes
Medicare Advantage plans are forcing nursing homes to deliver the same level of care to sicker residents in dramatically shorter stays, compressing average skilled‑nursing episodes from about 21 days to as little as 7‑14 days. Methodist Retirement Communities (MRC) reports...