A look at nursing facility characteristics between 2015 and 2024 - KFF

A look at nursing facility characteristics between 2015 and 2024 - KFF 
KFF; by Priya Chidambaram and Alice Burns; 12/6/24 
In a KFF Issue Brief on nursing facility characteristics over time, KFF has described nursing homes and the people living in them. Data is pulled from Care Compare (Nursing Homes) and CASPER (Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports). Data includes the number of certified nursing facilities, hours of care by nurse staff type over years, survey deficiencies in nursing homes, and the share of residents by primary payer. The study confirms that Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing facility residents in 2024, followed by 24% for private and other payers, and 13% by Medicare. As reported by KFF,  “KFF polling shows that four in ten adults overall incorrectly believe that Medicare is the primary source of insurance coverage for low-income people who need nursing facility care.” 
Guest Editor's Note, Judi Lund Person: As we think about the impact of Medicaid cuts on nursing home residents, it is important to note that Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing home residents as of 2024. In some states, that percentage may be higher. See the KFF article.