Money moves
SNF Value-Based Purchasing Payouts Announced: Top Quartile Earns 5.1%
CMS released FY2026 VBP results showing top-quartile facilities earned a 5.1% incentive payment, while bottom-quartile facilities lost the full 2% withhold, a spread of 7.1 points.
Workforce
Union Organizing Activity in SNFs Hits 10-Year High
NLRB filings show 142 SNF union election petitions were filed in 2025, a 10-year high, with SEIU and 1199SEIU leading campaigns focused on wages and staffing ratios.
Compliance
DOJ Settles False Claims Case Against New England Chain for $14.5M
Heritage Rehabilitation Services agreed to pay $14.5M to settle DOJ allegations of systematically upcoding resident assessments to inflate PDPM payments over a three-year period.
Technology
Remote Patient Monitoring in SNFs Linked to 18% Fewer ED Transfers
A Health Affairs study found that SNFs using continuous remote patient monitoring had 18% fewer emergency department transfers, saving an average of $3,200 per avoided event.
The bottom line
VBP is creating real winners and losers with a 7-point spread, union organizing is surging, and DOJ just collected $14.5M on a PDPM upcoding case.