Anchorage, Alaska — One of the largest post-acute care operators in the country just planted a deeper flag in the Last Frontier — and it’s already planning to build there. PACS Group announced last week that it has acquired Ridgeway Senior Living, a post-acute care facility in Anchorage, Alaska. The deal brings the company’s Alaska footprint to four buildings and its total national portfolio to 325 communities across 17 states, with nearly 36,000 beds. What makes the move notable isn’t just the acquisition — it’s what comes next. A New Facility on the Horizon PACS also acquired land adjacent to…
Author: Mordy Y
Washington, D.C. — A provision buried in the massive 2025 federal budget reconciliation law is about to upend how millions of Americans plan for nursing home care — and many families don’t know it’s coming. Starting January 2028, federal Medicaid rules will cap the amount of home equity a person can hold and still qualify for long-term care coverage at $1 million. That alone might sound like a problem only for the wealthy. But here’s what makes it different from every cap that came before it: this one won’t move. A Cap That Never Grows Since 2006, Medicaid has placed…
Lansing, Michigan — For nursing home residents on Medicaid in Michigan, $60 a month is all the state gives them to cover personal expenses. That works out to $2 a day — not enough for a haircut, barely enough for deodorant and body wash, and nowhere near enough to replace worn-out clothes. Dianna Bennett, a resident at the Isabella County Medical Care facility in Mount Pleasant, has lived there for six years. She enjoys painting, but buying supplies is a stretch. “You have to work with what you can afford,” she said. Now, a growing movement among Michigan nursing home…
Washington, D.C. — The federal government is offering nursing homes a raise next year, but the fine print comes with a serious workload attached. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a proposed rule this week that would increase skilled nursing facility payments by approximately 2.4% in fiscal year 2027 — an estimated $888 million boost. But alongside that number is a package of data reporting changes that providers say will require significant administrative investment to pull off. What the money looks like The 2.4% rate increase is a routine annual update under the SNF Prospective Payment System. For…
San Juan Capistrano, California — One of the country’s largest skilled nursing operators just reported its best quarter on record — and it’s raising its outlook for the rest of the year, even as managed care plans grow more aggressive and hospital referral volumes shift unpredictably. The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, posting GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.67 — a 21.9% jump over the same period last year. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.85, also up 21.7% year over year. Net income hit $99.7 million for the quarter, a 24.2% increase. The…
Dana Point, California — CareTrust REIT has closed roughly $628 million in new investments, with a portfolio of 15 California skilled nursing facilities serving as the centerpiece of the deal spree. The transactions push the real estate investment trust’s total 2026 investment activity to nearly $1 billion — and the company says it’s not done yet. The California portfolio, acquired through a series of related off-market sale-leaseback transactions with a California-based skilled nursing operator, cost approximately $380 million and includes about 1,700 beds. It marks the start of a new operator relationship for CareTrust. The properties are triple-net leased back…
Washington, District of Columbia — A new federal audit says most nursing homes in the United States still lack emergency power systems strong enough to protect residents during a major outage, a finding that lands just ahead of hurricane season. The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said 72 of the 100 nursing homes it audited had at least one emergency power deficiency. Based on that sample, the agency estimated that 10,983 of the nation’s 15,115 nursing homes, or 73%, have emergency power systems that are either inadequate or unreliable. What the audit…
Washington, District of Columbia – Federal nursing home surveyors are being pushed toward a more standardized playbook, and one of the biggest changes may be when they show up. According to industry reports tied to newly revised federal guidance, providers should expect more survey activity to begin outside the normal workday, including evenings and weekends. The change is meant to give inspectors a clearer look at real-world staffing and care patterns instead of a facility’s best weekday presentation. For operators, that’s not a small tweak. Off-hours starts can test shift handoffs, overnight coverage, and how quickly staff respond when leadership…
Richmond, Virginia — A mysterious new political action committee, funded by companies tied to out-of-state nursing home chains, quietly became one of Virginia’s top political donors in early 2026 — and patient advocates say the timing wasn’t a coincidence. When the state’s General Assembly session ended, every meaningful nursing home reform bill had been gutted, shelved, or turned into yet another study. The PAC, called Organizing for Virginia Seniors, donated more than $300,000 to Virginia politicians before the legislative session began, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Political analysts called the amount unusually high for the…
Salt Lake City, Utah — PACS Group, one of the largest post-acute care platforms in the country, announced Monday that it has appointed Carey P. Hendrickson as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. The move caps a carefully planned leadership transition at a company that grew from two skilled nursing facilities in San Diego to more than 320 across 17 states. Hendrickson takes over from co-founder Mark Hancock, who has served in the CFO role since the company’s founding in 2013 — including stepping back in as interim CFO in September 2025 after a leadership gap. Hancock will retire…
