Skilled Nursing News March 14, 2025
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended that Congress reduce nursing home Medicare base payment rates by 3% for 2026. The Commission tempered their cut, they said, acknowledging uncertainty around the impact of the new nurse staffing requirements on costs to the sector next year.
While many in the sector expect the mandate to dissolve either by litigation or Congressional action, it officially is still being implemented. The Commission recommended the same 3% cut last year. MedPAC’s report also reported on specifics around access to care, quality of care, and providers’ access to capital for nursing homes, along with Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicare payments and providers’ costs and Medicaid trends.
The number of skilled nursing facilities declined by 1% in...