By Greg Seiple August 06, 2026
Five Stars Is Still in Reach - and There’s a Practical Way to Get There

The July 2026 refresh raised the bar for a 5-star Quality Measure rating. But when you score facilities against the new thresholds, a large group sits just below the line — close enough to recoup a star the recut took, or claim one that's suddenly within range. A practical guide for SNF/LTC teams · Based on CMS quality-measure data and the July 2026 Five-Star Technical Users' Guide, scored against the current thresholds.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
August 06, 2026
CY 2027 Home Health Proposed Rule: What's Real, What's Just an Idea, and What It Means for Your Quality Programs

For home health agencies, the CY 2027 Home Health Proposed Rule (CMS-1844-P) is, first and foremost, a quality-program story. Yes, it sets next year's payment rates, and we'll cover that up front because you'll want the headline number. But the developments most likely to shape how you plan sit in the quality reporting sections: what CMS is confirming for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP) and the Expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model, and how the agency is signaling it may eventually connect the two.

Home Health , In the Press ,
By Greg Seiple July 20, 2026
CMS Tightens the Rules on Accrediting Organizations: What Skilled Nursing Facilities Should Know

On June 16, 2026, CMS published a final rule targeting the oversight of Accrediting Organizations — the national bodies that can certify certain healthcare providers as meeting Medicare requirements. While skilled nursing facilities are not directly regulated by this rule in its current form, the provisions it establishes are worth understanding. They signal where CMS is heading on accreditation, mock surveys, and the relationship between consulting services and regulatory oversight — all topics with real implications for long-term care.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Chris Attaya June 03, 2026
Decoding the SSVI: What CMS's New Hospice Scorecard Reveals About Agency Performance

In the FY 2027 Hospice Proposed Rule (CMS-1851-P), CMS introduced the Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) — a composite scoring tool that flags hospice agencies whose patterns of care and Medicare spending diverge meaningfully from peer norms. CMS released an accompanying agency-level dataset covering 6,642 hospices in FY2025 and 6,735 hospices in FY2024, offering the most granular view of variation across the hospice benefit that CMS has published to date.

Home Health , In the Press ,
By Chris Attaya April 20, 2026
HHVBP Scores are Changing Again

With the start of CY 2026, Home Health Agencies (HHAs) will again need to recalibrate how they look at their Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Total Performance Scores (TPS). Understanding these changes is important since your opportunity for HHVBP bonuses will depend on how your scores compare to HHAs in your cohort. As we will discuss, whenever CMS changes the outcome measure sets, measure weights and/or baseline data, your current TPS scores are likely to change.

Home Health , In the Press ,
April 14, 2026
What CMS Just Changed About How Your Facility Gets Surveyed

CMS revised Chapters 5 and 7 of the State Operations Manual (SOM) effective April 30, 2026. The changes affect how complaints are prioritized, how surveys are conducted, and what enforcement consequences follow — with direct implications for every SNF.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Greg Seiple March 12, 2026
Are Your MDS Submissions Telling the Whole Story?

When it comes to quality measures, Five-Star ratings, and PDPM reimbursement, the accuracy of your MDS data isn't just important — it's everything. If the data going into your analytics doesn't match what CMS actually has on record, your reports, projections, and financial calculations are working from an incomplete picture. That's exactly the problem SHP's two new MDS Validation Reports are designed to solve.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Greg Seiple February 20, 2026
CMS Updates State Operations Manual: What Long-Term Care Providers Need to Know

If you've been working in skilled nursing for any length of time, you know that the State Operations Manual is an evolving rulebook. CMS often releases updates that clarify, revise, or—let's be honest—can complicate how we demonstrate compliance. The latest round of changes arrived via QSO-26-03-NH on January 30, 2026, with an effective date of March 30, 2026. These updates to Chapters 5 and 7 of the SOM don't revolutionize the survey process, but they do tighten up several critical areas that directly impact how surveyors conduct investigations and how facilities must respond to deficiencies. If you're responsible for survey readiness, regulatory compliance, or quality assurance, here's what you need to understand.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Greg Seiple November 03, 2025
TEAM Model for SNFs: A Practical Guide

Starting January 2026, Medicare is testing a new payment approach called TEAM (Transforming Episode Accountability Model) in about 741 hospitals across roughly 188 geographic areas. This five-year test program represents a significant shift in how hospitals and their post-acute care partners will approach surgical patient care.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
October 06, 2025
All Three Gold AHCA Quality Award Winners are SHP Clients

The 2025 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program recipients have been announced and we are thrilled to share an unprecedented milestone: For the first time ever, all three Gold – Excellence in Quality Award winners are SHP clients! Among the 182 total award recipients this year, SHP clients demonstrated exceptional commitment to quality care, earning recognition across all award levels. This historic achievement underscores our position as the partner of choice for organizations pursuing excellence in long-term and post-acute care.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Greg Seiple July 15, 2025
A New Chapter in Nursing Home Ratings: Navigating CMS’s 2025 Changes with SHP

Big changes are coming to the way nursing homes are rated, and if you're part of the industry, it’s vital to prepare now. Starting in July 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing updates to the Five-Star Quality Rating System to make ratings more accurate, transparent, and reflective of current performance. These changes are detailed in the QSO-25-20-NH memorandum, marking a significant shift for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) across the country. Beyond understanding these updates, facilities must adapt quickly to maintain and improve their ratings—and that’s where Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) can help.

Skilled Nursing , In the Press ,
By Chris Attaya June 26, 2024
Initial Medicare FFS Telehealth Insights

On July 1st, 2023 CMS began requiring home health agencies to document their utilization of telehealth services on their Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) claims. As finalized in the CY 2023 Home Health Payment System Rate Update, agencies are responsible to identify one of three services they provide using new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes. These codes are added as a separate visit line on the claim based on the date each service is provided. CMS notes in the rule that these services are for reporting only, since CMS does not reimburse for these services. The HCPCS codes are:

Home Health , In the Press ,
By Chris Attaya August 01, 2023
New Hospice Special Focus Program starts in CY 2024

CMS shared the details of the new Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) in the CMS Home Health Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule posted in the Federal Register on July 10th. While expected, CMS often adds rule-making for non-home health services when either timing or urgency makes it necessary. Based on the scrutiny Hospice has been under from numerous OIG reports and the negative publicity from articles written by ProPublica and the New Yorker, Hospice has been in the crosshairs of increased oversight.

Hospice , In the Press ,