Proposed CMS Rule Upholds Exclusion of Nursing Home Custodial Care From Essential Benefits
CMS issued a Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 proposing to keep long‑term nursing‑home custodial care outside the list of essential health benefits required for ACA marketplace plans. The rule maintains that custodial stays are not mandatory coverage, giving states the option to fund such care while granting insurers greater product flexibility and tighter agent oversight. CMS says the change will lower premiums, expand consumer choice, and curb deceptive marketing, and it invites public comment through March 11.
‘Rip the Band-Aid’: Welltower to Divest $1.3B of Integra-Related Nursing Home Assets, $800M Sold in 4Q
Welltower announced it will divest roughly $1.3 billion of Integra‑related skilled‑nursing assets, having sold $800 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and targeting an additional $500 million. The move completes the disposal of about half the Integra portfolio and aligns with the...
3-Day Hospital Stay Rule for Nursing Homes Fails to Improve Outcomes, Cut Costs, as Researchers Question ‘Rigid’ Thresholds
A JAMA Internal Medicine cohort study of more than 600,000 Medicare hospitalizations found that reinstating the three‑day inpatient rule lengthened stays but did not curb skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharges, improve 30‑day outcomes, or lower Medicare spending. The rule increased...
As Medicaid Falls Short for Nursing Homes, Some Providers Turn to Integration Over Selling or Closing
Medicaid reimbursement shortfalls are pushing nonprofit nursing homes toward drastic choices, including sale or closure. In New York, ArchCare, a nonprofit post‑acute system, chose to integrate Wartburg’s 34‑acre senior‑care campus instead, preserving its mission while expanding service breadth. The integration...
‘The New Normal’: Nursing Home M&A Is Being Shaped by Regional Operators, REITs, and Private Capital
The skilled‑nursing sector entered 2026 with strong occupancy and higher state reimbursements, restoring profitability for many facilities. Financing remains robust, but activity has shifted toward acquiring and refurbishing existing homes rather than new construction. Regional operators are snapping up underperforming...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: Arizona Nonprofit Sells for $30M-Plus, Viventium Acquires Apploi
Evans Senior Investments brokered the sale of the nonprofit Glencroft Center for Modern Aging in Glendale, Arizona, fetching $30.15 million—about $134,000 per bed—despite a 47% occupancy rate and a 1‑star CMS rating. The deal doubled the seller’s expected proceeds by creating...
Omega Execs Tout Nursing Home Operator Credit Quality, Predict Strong 2026, Offer Genesis Sale Updates
Omega Healthcare Investors reported a stronger‑than‑expected fourth‑quarter 2025, posting EPS of $0.55 versus the $0.49 consensus and adjusted FFO of $0.80 per share, beating estimates. The REIT lifted its 2026 AFFO outlook to $3.15‑$3.25 per share, slightly above analyst expectations....
Next Step Properties Placed in Receivership, iCare Tasked With Interim Operations
Eleven of Next Step Healthcare's fourteen Massachusetts nursing homes have been placed in court‑appointed receivership after landlords reported nearly $15 million in unpaid rent and $3 million owed to lenders. Audits show chronic late payments and inspection failures that jeopardized resident safety....