More than a decade after accountable care organizations launched, healthcare systems are still eager to bring more skilled nursing operators into the fold, according to several acute-care speakers at the National Association of ACOs Fall Conference being held in Washington, DC, this week. Financial incentives for nursing homes to sign on to ACOs not led…
Rewards tied to improved hospital readmission rates were so small and so variable from year to year that they likely contributed to a “lack of effectiveness” for a key nursing home financial incentive program. The Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing program is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ largest use of financial incentives to…
As value-based care (VBC) continues to redefine reimbursement models and quality standards in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the Director of Nursing (DON) plays a central role — driving clinical excellence, operational efficiency and financial performance. With hospitals, health plans and VBC programs increasingly viewing SNFs as strategic partners, the DON’s influence is just as vital…
Ari Shabat: Well, we just heard a little bit of that from Joel Theisen, founder and CEO from Lifespark, in the previous session. His concept of “choppy interactions” and the effort to build a sensible workflow really ties into admissions — because that’s where value-based care either begins or breaks. Many facilities still treat admissions as…
What if a potent driver of value-based success isn’t found in your clinical programs but in the first few minutes your residents spend with your team? Long-term care is racing toward value-based care (VBC). You obsess over quality measures, satisfaction surveys and readmission rates. You invest in clinical pathways, technology and staff training. But when…
“Value-based care” (VBC) is one of the most frequently cited goals in U.S. healthcare reform — yet its meaning remains frustratingly vague and often contradictory. We hear that value-based care is the future. But as we navigate payment reforms, new quality programs, and evolving care models, we’re forced to ask: Whose definition of “value” are we…
The term “value-based care” is tossed around like a political football among healthcare policy makers. Nowhere is the meaning of this so variable as in nursing homes. The Nursing Home Value-Based Purchasing Demonstration project, completed over a decade ago, was not found to lower spending or improve quality. Webster’s Dictionary defines value as “the monetary worth of something,”…
For organizations hoping to draw out savings from value-based care, added administrative burdens might be a source of hesitation. However, some operators are successfully turning to technology offerings that maximize reimbursement, pinpoint essential data, and include platforms already used by referral partners and managed care organizations (MAOs). AI programs can help “tease out” some of…
The future of value-based care programs will likely focus on greater integration of care, as nursing homes and other providers in the health care continuum discover the benefits of more thoughtful discharges – less focused on swiftness and more on moving patients through a continuum of care – in order to close costly gaps in…
A new report is highlighting continuing trends and areas of opportunities that skilled nursing providers can consider while addressing persistent industry developments, such as increasing implementation of Medicare Advantage plans and a hyperfocus on value-based care. The trends unveiled in accounting firm Plante Moran’s “2025 Skilled Nursing Facility Medicare Benchmarking Report” should be used as…