Is Reform on the Horizon for SNFs?

The COVID-19 pandemic brought on unprecedented challenges for the skilled nursing industry. Skilled Nursing News reports that the Biden administration agrees a reform is necessary for nursing homes moving forward.

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated in a recent press conference that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many underlying problems in nursing home “when there weren’t the systems in place, when loved ones couldn’t even engage with or reach their members who were staying in senior care facilities.”

Psaki stated that the federal government is willing to discuss reform but they also understand that cooperation and agreement will be necessary from state governments as well.

The Biden administration has proposed a $400 billion plan which includes expansion of Medicaid coverage for at-home and community-based programs. During the election, both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed the need for increased regulation of nursing homes. As candidates, they both also stated that they will “work to end the institutional bias in the Medicaid program by expanding access to home- and community-based services, affirm the commitment to people with disabilities and seniors to be able to self-direct services.”

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