CMS has paused new home health and hospice Medicare applications nationwide — and if your senior living organization was planning to start, acquire, or expand a home health agency, this could change your timeline fast.

In this episode of Senior Living Executive Strategy, Melissa Brown sits down with Devin Kasey, Vice President of Home Health Operations at Gravity Consulting, to break down what the new CMS home health and hospice moratorium means, what providers should do right now, and why waiting until the moratorium lifts could put your organization months behind.

If your organization needs help with home health strategy, startup planning, operations, reimbursement, or acquisition due diligence, visit Gravity Consulting here:
https://gravityconsulting.com

In this episode, we cover:

• What the CMS home health and hospice moratorium means
• Why the pause applies nationwide
• What to do if you had not submitted your 855A before the deadline
• Why state licensure and startup preparation should continue
• How to prepare now so you can submit quickly when the moratorium lifts
• What providers already in the queue should focus on next
• How the moratorium affects home health mergers and acquisitions
• Why accreditation may help providers move faster once applications reopen

For senior living leaders, this episode is especially important because home health is becoming a more strategic part of the senior living continuum. The moratorium may slow the Medicare application process, but it does not mean your organization should stop preparing.

Subscribe to Senior Living Executive Strategy for more conversations on senior living operations, home health, skilled nursing, reimbursement, growth, and executive strategy.

Learn more about Gravity Consulting:
https://gravityconsulting.com

#SeniorLiving #HomeHealth #Hospice #CMS #SkilledNursing #HealthcareLeadership #HomeHealthStartup #SeniorLivingStrategy #GravityConsulting

Support the show

The FY 2027 SNF Proposed Rule may only be 40 pages long… but the implications for skilled nursing operators are massive.

In this episode of Gravity Healthcare Hacks, Melissa Brown breaks down the biggest takeaways from the proposed rule and explains what SNF leaders should be paying attention to right now — including reimbursement changes, PDPM case mix concerns, therapy adjustments, quality reporting updates, and why CMS is signaling increased scrutiny around MDS coding and documentation.

Melissa also walks through:

• The proposed 2.4% reimbursement increase — and why many operators feel it falls short
• CMS concerns around “case mix creep” under PDPM
• Proposed payment reductions to Speech, Nursing, and NTA
• Why therapy components may actually increase
• What operators should be advocating for before the June 1, 2026 comment deadline
• How future all-payer MDS reporting could reshape quality visibility
• The growing importance of Medicare Advantage quality outcomes
• Why now is the time to audit your MDS processes and documentation

If you operate a SNF, manage reimbursement, oversee MDS, or lead clinical operations, this is an episode you do not want to miss.

Read more and access additional insights from this episode here:
https://gravityhealthcareconsulting.com/gravity-healthcare-hacks-podcast/fy-2027-snf-proposed-rule

Need help auditing your MDS processes, PDPM accuracy, or reimbursement strategy?
Visit Gravity Consulting or contact Melissa Brown and the Gravity team to learn how we help SNFs improve reimbursement accuracy, operational performance, and clinical outcomes.

Connect with Gravity Consulting:
• Website: https://gravityconsulting.com
• Contact Melissa Brown: https://gravityhealthcareconsulting.com/schedule-a-consultation
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gravityhealthcareconsulting

Thanks for listening to Gravity Healthcare Hacks. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with another healthcare leader navigating the changing SNF landscape.

Support the show

Contract rehab used to make sense.
Today… it’s quietly holding a lot of buildings back.

In this episode of Gravity Healthcare Hacks, Melissa Brown and Carly Chronister break down what’s actually changed—and why more organizations are moving to an in-house, hybrid therapy model.

This isn’t theory.
It’s what’s happening right now inside real communities.

You’ll hear:

• Why PDPM and PDPM Medicaid changed the economics of therapy (for good)
• What contract therapy companies are no longer delivering—and why it matters
• How the hybrid model works (and what support actually looks like after startup)
• The real “gut check” numbers for therapy utilization in LTC, AL, and IL
• What happens to margins, outcomes, and staff morale when you make the switch
• What the transition process actually looks like (and why it’s easier than most expect)

If you’ve ever wondered whether your therapy program could be doing more—for your residents and your building—this episode will give you a clear answer.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about therapy.
It’s about control, visibility, and outcomes.

If this hits home for you, visit www.gravityconsulting.com and schedule a call. We’ll show you exactly what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.

Support the show