Poorly coded doctor claims cost Medicare $33 million: OIG report
By
John Hall
May 11, 2015
The Health & Human Services’ Inspector General is advising the agency to have its Medicare contractors chase down more than $33 million that might have been overpaid to physicians as a result of...
How to do it … Refinancing
By
John Hall
May 08, 2015
There are many sound reasons for long-term care providers to refinance, says Chris Taylor, managing director, Real Estate Finance, GE Capital, Healthcare Financial Services.
Nursing homes announce campaign to lessen poor outcomes, decrease employee turnover
By
John Hall
May 08, 2015
Increasing staff stability, adopting a customer satisfaction questionnaire, reducing unintended healthcare outcomes, reducing hospital readmissions, improving discharges to the community, and adopting...
Hospice care becoming costlier, less aggressive, study finds
By
John Hall
May 08, 2015
Brown researchers examined the change in last-year-of-life Medicare expenditures during the most recent expansion of the program that began in 2004 and continued through 2009.
Couple to plead in Presbyterian Manors $1.5 million mail fraud case
By
John Hall
May 08, 2015
A former Kansas couple facing up to 20 years in federal prison and $1 million in fines are expected to plead guilty to at least some of the charges alleging they submitted fraudulent invoices to his former...
New pharmacy owner agrees to $5 million settlement in anti-kickback case
By
John Hall
May 08, 2015
A North Carolina pharmacy services company agreed Wednesday to pay a $5 million civil fine to settle federal anti-kickback violations alleged to have occurred under prior ownership, the U.S. Attorney’s...
Fee-for-service still consumes most Medicare outlays: Report
By
John Hall
May 07, 2015
Far more than half of the $360 billion in Medicare payments made just two years ago were based on traditional fee-for-service models without regard to quality or value, according to an independent report...
AHCA previews new quality metric announcement
By
John Hall
May 07, 2015
The American Health Care Association is expected to announce today six new quality metrics, some of which raise the bar on nursing home staff turnover and hospital readmissions.
Use of walking aids and other mobility devices soaring, study finds
By
John Hall
May 07, 2015
Mobility device use soared almost 50% among the over-65 population from 2004 to 2012, and researchers say the reasons are varied.
CMS plan would hike hospice rates in 2016
By
John Hall
May 06, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to raise hospice payment rates by nearly $200 million, or 2%, in fiscal year 2016. They come under a sweeping proposal establishing payment tiers based...