Money moves
Medicare SNF Per Diem Rates Average $578 Under PDPM in FY2026
Updated PDPM data shows the national average Medicare SNF per diem hit $578 in Q1 FY2026, up from $556 a year earlier, driven by higher nursing and NTA component scores.
On the radar
CMS Launches Pilot Program to Reduce Survey Burden in High-Performing SNFs
CMS announced a voluntary pilot in 10 states that would allow Five-Star rated facilities (4 or 5 stars) to undergo abbreviated annual surveys, cutting on-site time by 40%.
Compliance
Pennsylvania Suspends Admissions at 4 SNFs After Infection Control Failures
Pennsylvania's DOH suspended new admissions at four facilities in the Philadelphia area after surveys found systematic failures in hand hygiene, PPE use, and isolation protocols.
Deal watch
Diversified Healthcare Trust Completes $680M Portfolio Restructuring
DHC completed a restructuring that swapped 41 underperforming SNFs for 22 higher-acuity transitional care facilities, reducing its bed count by 3,200 but raising average per-bed revenue by 35%.
The bottom line
PDPM per diems keep climbing, CMS is testing lighter surveys for top performers, and the portfolio reshuffling trend continues as operators chase acuity.