Police blame post-hospital transition issues in mysterious death
By
John Hall
Apr 27, 2015
A lack of communication between a discharging hospital and a residential-care facility is being blamed for the death of a 63-year-old man found drowned in a marsh, nine days after leaving the hospital.
Top Medicaid fraud convicts are nursing and home health aides, OIG says
By
John Hall
Apr 24, 2015
Nearly one-third of Medicaid fraud criminal convictions the federal government obtained last year involved home health aides, a government report finds. Thirty percent of the 2014 cases involved home health...
Better provider policies needed in wake of historic Alzheimer’s sex case, experts say
By
John Hall
Apr 24, 2015
A 78-year-old retired lawmaker on Wednesday was found not guilty of sexual abuse of his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife. The Iowa case attracted nationwide attention and has been watched closely by many...
Online forum will explain new home health rating system
By
John Hall
Apr 24, 2015
A special one-hour, web-based open door forum will be held May 7 to explain to providers the new set of star ratings for the Home Health Compare website, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
Proposals to pay for ‘doc fix’ law are making long-term care providers nervous
By
John Hall
Apr 23, 2015
Much of last week’s historic bill that created new payment rates for Medicare doctors was left unfunded by lawmakers, and now GOP budget hawks are presenting ideas that provoke anxiety in the sector.
Nursing home association wants no part of Medicaid managed care
By
John Hall
Apr 23, 2015
Managed care is not being warmly embraced by long-term care providers everywhere. Nearly 40 states are in various completion phases of transitioning to privatized Medicaid managed care systems, but Louisiana’s...
New drug delivery system shows promise in managing Parkinson’s
By
John Hall
Apr 23, 2015
Medical researchers say a new treatment could effectively combat the biggest obstacle in managing Parkinson’s Disease – the difficulty in absorbing medications because of erratic muscles that...
HCR ManorCare said Tuesday it will “vigorously defend” itself in three separate “whistleblower” lawsuits that allege it submitted false claims to Medicare and Tricare.
Information security improves at Medicare contractors: OIG
By
John Hall
Apr 22, 2015
Information security at nine selected Medicare administrative contractors, at least as of two years ago, was improving, according to a recent report by the Department of Health & Human Services Office...
Assisted living assault now ruled homicide
By
John Hall
Apr 22, 2015
Police said Monday that the death of a 93-year-old woman in a Winston-Salem, NC, assisted living facility is now being investigated as a homicide.