Medicare fee-for-service admissions increased by 5.8 percent among skilled nursing facilities but decreased among home health providers in 2022, according to a new report from Trella Health, a healthcare analytics company.
The "Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report" used data from Medicare Part A and Part B claims and Medicare Advantage data through November 2022. The report found "a more erratic trend [in FFS admissions] due to the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic."
Here are seven key findings:
- National fee-for-service enrollment continued in a downward trend, decreasing by 3.4 percent, or 1.3 million people, between 2021 and 2022.
- Medicare Advantage enrollment increased by 29.6 million in 2022, and 46.2 percent of eligible beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.
- Medicare Advantage plans could reach 50 percent as soon as 2024, the report predicted.
- Medicare Advantage enrollment increased 10 percent between 2021 and 2022 compared with 2.3 percent increase in the Medicare-eligible population.
- FFS admission remained stable for hospice, with only a 0.1 percent decrease.
- Year over year, FSS admission fell by 8.6 percent for home health.
- Inpatient utilization of home health, hospice and skilled nursing agencies moved closer to pre-pandemic levels, along with FSS inpatient discharge instructional rates.