Medicaid capital reimbursement policy and environmental artifacts of nursing home culture change.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To examine how Medicaid capital reimbursement policy is associated with nursing homes (NHs) having high proportions of private rooms and small households. DESIGN AND METHODS: Through a 2009/2010 NH national survey, we identified NHs having small households and high proportions of private rooms (≥76%). A survey of state Medicaid officials and policy document review provided 2009 policy data. Facility- and county-level covariates were from Online Survey, Certification and Reporting, the Area Resource File, and aggregated resident assessment data (minimum data set). The policy of interest was the presence of traditional versus fair rental capital reimbursement policy. Average Medicaid per diem rates and the presence of NH pay-for-performance (p4p) reimbursement were also examined. A total of 1,665 NHs in 40 states were included. Multivariate logistic regression analyses (with clustering on states) were used.
RESULTS: In multivariate models, Medicaid capital reimbursement policy was not significantly associated with either outcome. However, there was a significantly greater likelihood of NHs having many private rooms when states had higher Medicaid rates (per $10 increment; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.049, 1.228), and in states with versus without p4p (AOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.045, 3.036). Also, in states with p4p NHs had a greater likelihood of having small households (AOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.045, 3.0636). IMPLICATIONS: Higher NH Medicaid rates and reimbursement incentives may contribute to a higher presence of 2 important environmental artifacts of culture change-an abundance of private rooms and small households. However, longitudinal research examining policy change is needed to establish the cause and effect of the associations observed.