NIC: SNF occupancy down, but Medicaid per diem hits 5-year high

Skilled nursing occupancy has declined to a five-year low, but the news is good for Medicaid per diem revenue, according to Q2 data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). The national average for skilled nursing occupancy slumped to 82.2 percent, attributed partly to a decline in Medicare census mix, the NIC Skilled Nursing Data Report noted.

Several factors could be contributing to the decline, including the season, the growth of managed care plans and new initiatives in care delivery and reimbursement, the report stated.

While the managed Medicare per patient, per day reimbursement rates dipped to $437.85, the reduction is less than during the previous two quarters. Meanwhile, Medicaid per diem rates rose to a five-year high of $198.

NIC has been tracking trends for the skilled nursing report since 2011.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.