Money moves
Year-End Medicare Sequestration Update: 2% Cut Remains for FY2026
CMS confirmed that the 2% Medicare sequestration reduction will remain in effect for all of FY2026, with no congressional action expected to waive it before the holiday recess.
Policy watch
CMS Releases 2024 Nursing Home Compare Data Refresh
The December Nursing Home Compare data refresh shows 14,674 Medicare-certified SNFs, down from 15,012 a year ago, continuing the slow contraction of the national supply.
Compliance
Multi-State Investigation Targets SNF Pharmacy Kickback Scheme
DOJ announced a multi-state investigation into alleged kickback arrangements between three pharmacy benefit managers and over 60 SNFs in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Technology
AI Wound Care Documentation Tools Reduce Charting Time by 40%
A peer-reviewed study in JAMDA found that AI-powered wound imaging and documentation tools cut nurse charting time by 40% while improving wound staging accuracy to 94%.
The bottom line
Sequestration stays, the SNF supply keeps shrinking, and DOJ is digging into pharmacy arrangements right before the holidays.