According to CMS, Medicaid paid 48 percent of nursing home expenditures in 2001.

Yes. They must rely on the debt markets to raise capital or in some cases attract philanthropic donations.

Nursing facilities invest capital for purposes including maintaining and updating current facilities, building or acquiring new facilities, reducing debt and debt payments and repurchasing stock.

Nursing facilities incur a variety of expenses for rent, labor, food, supplies, drugs, equipment, insurance, administration and other overhead.

Yes. The top 10 nursing home companies (by bed count) accounted for about 15.5 percent of beds.

Yes. About 65 percent of nursing homes are owned by for-profit by for-profit entities, whereas 28 percent are owned by non-profit organizations.

About 16,500 nursing homes certified exist to provide Medicare and/or Medicaid care in the United States, with approximately 1.8 million total beds.

A skilled nursing facility provides medical, nursing, social and rehabilitative services for older persons who require 24-hour nursing care and supervision.

Long-term care refers to a continuum of medical and social services designed to meet the needs of people living with chronic health problems that affect their ability to perform everyday activities.