The number of Medicare Advantage enrollees discharged to a skilled nursing facility grew to 47.6% in 2024, a 2.8% increase from 2023.
Skilled nursing facility utilization among Medicare Advantage plans is traditionally lower than Medicare fee-for-service, though that norm is expected to invert by 2034, according to Plante Moran’s “2025 Skilled Nursing Facility Medicare Benchmarking Report,” published Jan. 5.
Plante Moran calculates the benchmarks using CMS’ year-end Medicare cost data from more than 12,000 U.S. skilled nursing facilities.
Here are six things to know from the report:
- The national average hospital length of stay associated with skilled nursing facility discharges decreased from 8.65 days in 2023 to 8.43 days in 2024.
The overall skilled nursing facility length of stay decreased from 145 to 144 days. The average length of stay for Medicare Advantage enrollees decreased by one day as well, but was significantly shorter at 45 days to 44. - Skilled nursing facility occupancy increased from 76% to 78% between 2023 and 2024, and reached 79% as of March 2025.
- The national average discharge to a skilled-nursing facility among Medicare beneficiaries was 18% in 2024, though the rate varied by geographic region from 10% to 20%.
The national average discharge rates for other post-acute facilities in 2024 were:
- Inpatient rehab facilities: 3%
- Home health agencies: 15%
- Home: 44%
- Other: 20%
- The change in payer mix for skilled nursing facilities between 2023 and 2024 varied across payer type:
- Medicaid: Decreased from 12% to 11%
- Private or other: Increased from 31% to 34%
- Medicare: Decreased from 57% to 55%
- Between 2023 and 2024, the routine cost per patient day at skilled nursing facilities increased 1.44%.
The national average net margin for skilled nursing facilities increased by 1.83% during the same time period, from -1.63% in 2023 to 0.19% in 2024.
The national earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization margin increased for skilled nursing facilities from 8.5% to 10%. - Nursing wage rates increased about 3% to 4% between 2023 and 2024.
For registered nurses, the wage rate increased from $42.69 to $44.18, the increase was from $34.04 to $35.31 and from $21.17 to $21.95 for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants, respectively.
Read the full Plante Moran report here.
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