Journal of General Internal Medicine· 2026Q1
Access to and Choice of High-Quality Skilled Nursing Facility Care for Veterans After Hospitalization: A Cohort Analysis
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Over 92% of hospitalized Veterans used non-VA skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), with 34.4% choosing a 5-star rated facility, despite 64.5% having higher-quality options available nearby.
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Key points
- 34.4% of hospitalized Veterans chose a 5-star skilled nursing facility (SNF) after discharge.
- 64.5% of Veterans had access to SNFs with higher quality ratings than the one they used.
- 96.9% of Veterans had at least one 4-star or better SNF available in their local area.
- Veterans had an average of 16.4 high-quality (4-star or better) SNFs available nearby.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Background Use of a high-quality skilled nursing facility (SNF) after hospitalization helps older adults better recuperate and rehabilitate. However, little is known about to what extent older adults are using the highest-quality SNFs in their area. Veterans are a particularly relevant group to study since they can choose from both VA and non-VA SNFs. Objectives To determine access to and use of high-quality SNFs by older Veterans. Research Design Retrospective descriptive cohort study of hospitalized Veterans with subsequent SNF stays from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022. Subjects VA enrollees aged 66+ with an acute hospitalization followed by SNF admission within 1 day were included. Measures We defined SNF quality using Medicare and VA SNF star ratings (1 = worst quality, 5 = highest quality) and identified SNFs within 16 miles and 36 miles of the Veteran’s home zip code centroid. Results Of 926,860 Veterans in our sample, more than 92% used non-VA (Medicare-paid) SNFs. Overall, 34.4% of Veterans went to the highest-rated SNF, and 15.4% went to the worst-rated SNF in their area. Nearly two-thirds (64.5%) had at least one SNF in their area with a higher quality rating than the one used, and 43.7% had 5 or more choices that were of higher quality. Overall, 54.9% of Veterans went to a SNF that was rated 4 stars or better. Nearly all (96.9%) had at least 1 SNF rated 4 stars or better in their area, and on average, Veterans had 16.4 SNFs of 4 stars or higher in their area. Conclusions These results suggest significant opportunities to increase use of high-quality SNFs among older adults.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: General Health Professions
General Health ProfessionsHealth Professions