Money moves
2025 SNF Medicare Margins Expected at 10.8%, MedPAC Estimates
MedPAC's preliminary analysis projects aggregate SNF Medicare margins of 10.8% for 2025, up from 9.4% in 2024, fueled by PDPM case-mix optimization.
Policy watch
Incoming HHS Leadership Signals Focus on Deregulation for SNFs
Transition team memos suggest the incoming HHS leadership may prioritize reducing survey burden and revisiting the staffing mandate timeline, though no formal action has been taken.
Compliance
CMS Publishes 2025 Deficiency Data: Infection Control Tops List Again
Infection prevention and control (F880) remained the most-cited deficiency tag for the fifth consecutive year, appearing in 42% of all standard surveys conducted in 2025.
Technology
EHR Interoperability Deadline for SNFs Pushed to January 2027
CMS extended the SNF EHR interoperability compliance deadline by 12 months to January 2027, acknowledging that only 38% of facilities have achieved full data exchange capability.
The bottom line
Medicare margins are healthy at 10.8% but the policy winds could shift fast depending on what the new HHS team actually does with the staffing rule.