Money moves
CMS Projects SNF Medicare Spending Will Reach $36.2B by FY2027
CMS actuaries project SNF Medicare spending will hit $36.2B in FY2027, driven by demographic growth and continued PDPM case-mix creep despite the planned recalibration.
Quality
CMS Adds Antipsychotic Reduction to Five-Star Quality Measures
Beginning April 2026, the Five-Star quality domain will include a new measure tracking antipsychotic medication use among non-schizophrenia residents, replacing the retired UTI measure.
Compliance
OIG Finds 23% of SNFs Billed for Therapy Services Not Documented
An OIG audit of 200 facilities found 23% billed Medicare for therapy sessions that lacked supporting clinical documentation, potentially representing $890M in improper claims nationally.
Technology
Smart Bed Technology Reduces Pressure Injury Incidence by 32%
A multicenter trial published in JAGS found that smart bed systems with automated repositioning alerts reduced Stage 2+ pressure injuries by 32% over a 12-month period.
The bottom line
Medicare SNF spending is on a fast track to $36B, CMS is adding teeth to Five-Star, and OIG keeps finding therapy documentation gaps.