Health Systems Continue Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans in 2026
Becker's continues to track hospitals and health systems terminating Medicare Advantage contracts in 2026, with operators citing prior-authorization denials and slow reimbursement. Reported examples include Mayo Clinic going out of network with most UnitedHealthcare and Humana MA plans and NewYork-Presbyterian exiting UnitedHealthcare MA. Becker's notes the list is not exhaustive and is updated as more systems announce exits.
Read original →National Healthcare Properties Stays Neutral on MacKenzie Mini-Tender Offer
National Healthcare Properties said it will remain neutral and make no recommendation on an unsolicited mini-tender offer from MacKenzie Capital Management to buy up to 150,000 shares — about 0.2% of outstanding shares — at $7.27 each. The company noted the price is roughly 47% below the stock's last reported Nasdaq sale price and warned the offer appears opportunistic. The REIT owns seniors housing and medical real estate.
Read original →CoxHealth Cuts 53 Revenue Cycle Roles as Automation Expands
CoxHealth said automation has eliminated 53 revenue cycle positions, primarily roles involving manual medical-coding entry, representing about 0.38% of its workforce. The Missouri-based system said many affected employees are transitioning into new roles and that it is expanding a workforce transition and education program offering financial and career support. The cuts were announced June 11.
Read original →DOJ Sues New York, PPL Over Alleged CDPAP Fraud Scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against New York State and Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), alleging a fraud scheme in the contracting, bidding, and transition of the state's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) to a single fiscal intermediary. The complaint also names the New York State Health Department, its commissioner, and the state Medicaid director, and alleges PPL made false or misleading statements about the transition. New York's 2024 move consolidated more than 600 administrators into one.
Read original →HHS Ramps Up Information-Blocking Enforcement
HHS is actively enforcing the 21st Century Cures Act's information-blocking rules, issuing notices of potential nonconformity after more than 1,600 complaints were filed through its health IT feedback portal. Health IT developers found in violation could face penalties of up to $1 million per violation, while providers could be barred from receiving certain Medicare payments. The move follows a 2025 directive to increase enforcement resources.
Read original →CMS Recalculates Medicare Advantage Star Ratings After Clover Lawsuit Loss
After losing a court challenge brought by Clover Health, CMS recalculated 2026 Medicare Advantage star ratings; only plans whose ratings increased will have them updated and be allowed to resubmit bids. Analysts said the recalculation produced effectively no change for insurers other than Clover. A similar lawsuit from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield remains pending, adding further uncertainty to the program.
Read original →CMS Proposed Rule Locks in Lower Prices for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program
CMS issued a proposed rule establishing a permanent regulatory framework for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program created under the Inflation Reduction Act. The rule largely codifies the existing program and sets out policies for negotiating and renegotiating high-cost, single-source drugs beginning with price applicability year 2029. The proposal is open for public comment through August 17, 2026.
Read original →Study: Dementia Linked to Lower Survival After Hip Fractures
A study in JAMA Network Open analyzing more than 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries found that older adults with dementia had shorter survival, fewer days at home, and more time in skilled nursing and long-term care after a hip fracture than those without dementia. Surviving patients with dementia spent about 54 fewer days at home in the year after fracture. Researchers noted that insurance status, rural residence, and geographic region drove the largest disparities, identifying them as potential targets for health-system interventions.
Read original →Playing the Long Game: Rare New Construction in Skilled Nursing
While the nation's skilled nursing inventory continues to decline, some operators are pursuing ground-up construction to replace aging facilities and capture demand from a rapidly growing senior population. Construction lending remains flat, leaving the providers who borrow as outliers betting on demographics and rising expectations for privacy and amenities. One featured project, the Grande Dunes, will replace a 1980s facility and add 24 concierge suites.
Read original →New Day Healthcare Appoints Kathy Poland CEO
New Day Healthcare, a fast-growing home-based care company, has named co-founder Kathy Poland as chief executive officer. The appointment establishes permanent leadership following the death earlier this year of co-founder and CEO G. Scott Herman.
Read original →CMS Finalizes Rule Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations
CMS issued a final rule, 'Strengthening Oversight of AO and Preventing AO Conflicts of Interest,' to increase accountability among accrediting organizations that survey hospitals and other Medicare-certified providers and suppliers. The rule requires unannounced accreditation surveys, prohibits AOs from conducting mock surveys for providers they accredit before initial surveys and within 12 months of reaccreditation, and replaces look-back validation with direct-observation validation surveys. The regulations take effect June 16, 2027.
Read original →New CMS Medicaid Waiver Guidance Could Curtail HCBS Demonstrations, Advocates Warn
Advocates for home- and community-based services (HCBS) providers warn that new CMS guidance restricting states' use of Medicaid Section 1115 waivers, tied to a new budget-neutrality requirement, could inhibit waiver use and reduce HCBS innovation. The guidance applies a more rigorous analysis of 'with waiver' versus 'without waiver' expenditures. Stakeholders fear it could constrain state flexibility and slow development of new home and community-based care models.
Read original →Federal $20B Campaign Failed to Eliminate Skilled Nursing 'Access Deserts'
A McKnight's analysis reports that a federal $20 billion campaign aimed at closing poor-quality nursing homes left roughly 29% of affected residents in 'access deserts' with no nearby alternatives. Closures were concentrated among one-star-rated facilities, which accounted for 24.2% of closures despite representing 17.1% of all nursing homes. A related JAMA study found declines in capacity were roughly twice as steep as predicted once labor shortages were accounted for.
Read original →Hospice HOPE Tool Transition Brings Compliance and Technical Challenges
Implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool, which replaced the Hospice Item Set on Oct. 1, 2025, has gone smoothly for some providers but continues to pose technical and operational challenges, including iQIES submission hurdles and new symptom follow-up visit requirements. Industry groups have asked CMS to waive first-quarter compliance thresholds, warning of potential 4% payment penalties; CMS declined but said it will not use Q1 data for public reporting. Some stakeholders also argue the tool does not fully capture the holistic scope of hospice quality.
Read original →CenterWell Home Health Posts 4% Same-Store Admissions Growth in Q1 2026
Humana's CenterWell Home Health reported approximately 4% year-over-year growth in fee-for-service same-store admissions for Q1 2026, with executives citing Humana's broader MA membership growth as a key driver of referral volume.
Read original →SNF Medicare Payment Rates Rise 3.2% in FY 2026 — $1.16B Net Increase
CMS finalized a net 3.2% payment rate increase for skilled nursing facilities in FY 2026, totaling approximately $1.16 billion more than FY 2025 levels. The increase reflects the market basket update and PDPM recalibration adjustments.
Read original →Hospice Preview Reports Now Available in iQIES for August 2026 Care Compare Refresh
CMS distributed Hospice Provider Preview Reports and Hospice CAHPS Preview Reports in iQIES on May 20, 2026, supporting the August refresh of Hospice Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog. Providers have a limited review window before data goes public.
Read original →CMS Imposes 6-Month Enrollment Moratorium on Home Health and Hospice Providers
CMS announced a nationwide 6-month moratorium blocking new home health agency and hospice enrollments, citing anti-fraud priorities under the VP Anti-Fraud Task Force. Industry groups warn the blanket restriction disadvantages legitimate providers in rural and underserved markets.
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