Skilled Nursing Facility Staffing Impacted by New Payment Rules

Skilled nursing facility (SNF) staffing levels across several provider types have fallen since Medicare implemented new payment rules meant to drive value over volume of services, according to a new Health Affairs study.

The study published last week found that physical therapist and occupational therapist staffing levels at SNFs fell by 5 percent to 6 percent from October to December 2019 compared to the period before Medicare implemented the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM).

Physical therapy assistant and occupational therapist assistant levels also decreased following PDPM implementation, falling by 10 percent compared to the pre-implementation period.