Budget cut-hungry GOP walks fine line, eyeing 2016 elections
By
John Hall
Apr 21, 2015
House and Senate Republican lawmakers began working on a budget this week that could propose slashing Medicare and Medicaid in an effort to work toward a balanced budget without fiddling with tax rates,...
Social Security numbers to be removed from Medicare beneficiary cards
By
John Hall
Apr 21, 2015
After more than 10 years of warnings by government investigators, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now has a mandate to remove Social Security numbers from enrollees’ cards — a practice...
Peppers cooked in hooch lead to facility fire, evacuation
By
John Hall
Apr 21, 2015
There’s a lot that’s unclear in an attempt to cook peppers in Everclear in an assisted living residence last week.
Average SNF patient paid $3,400 when ineligible for Medicare, AARP report finds
By
John Hall
Apr 20, 2015
New AARP research reveals that the use of hospital “observation” status is having a substantial impact on out-of-pocket healthcare costs and follow-up care decisions for many Medicare beneficiaries.
Long-term care providers would do well to know the lesson from one Pennsylvania continuing care facility, which averted costly litigation when it discovered and later reported irregularities of more than...
Head of state association quits ‘to preserve unity’
By
John Hall
Apr 20, 2015
The long-time head of Georgia’s most powerful nursing home lobby resigned last week, revealing a rift that had grown among providers. The exec had spoken out in favor of lesser funding from the state...
Providers testify against post-acute bundled pay bill at hearing
By
John Hall
Apr 17, 2015
A top nursing home advocate on Thursday urged killing a bill calling for the bundling of Medicare payments for post-acute care services.
Watchdog: CMS should monitor Recovery Audit Data warehouse
By
John Hall
Apr 17, 2015
A new Government Accountability Office report recommends sweeping government reforms that would mitigate fragmentation and duplication of a number of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Medicare doc payment bill doesn’t ‘fix’ therapy caps
By
John Hall
Apr 17, 2015
The historic repeal of the “doc fix” this week left about equal numbers of stakeholders relieved and disappointed. Among the most crestfallen: Therapy providers who were hoping for Congress...
Colorado latest state to bungle Medicaid claims data: OIG
By
John Hall
Apr 16, 2015
Long-term care providers are struggling to satisfy new mandates over electronic reporting and medical records, and can expect more in the near future. But nothing can compare to the kind of information...