HHS: Medicare Advantage enrollment is up, premiums down
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 19, 2012
Enrollment in Medicare Advantage has jumped by 28% since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, federal health officials said Wednesday.
New tracking tools, guidance help nursing homes treat and prevent facility-acquired infections
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 19, 2012
Government health officials have released a tracking tool that can help nursing homes monitor healthcare-acquired infections.
New legislation would reimburse providers for transition of care services
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 19, 2012
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would reimburse providers for coordination of care services.
Joint ventures increase value of Health Care REIT’s buyout of Sunrise by $1.3 billion
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 18, 2012
Health Care REIT announced Tuesday that the value of its deal to purchase Sunrise Senior Living is no longer $1.9 billion, as announced last month. It’s risen to $3.2 billion, thanks to value added...
Medicare ‘upcoding’ accounts for $11 billion in extra costs, investigation finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 18, 2012
Medicare providers increasingly are using higher-paying codes instead of using less complex, lower-paying codes, an investigation has found. This practices, known as “upcoding,” has added $11...
Medicare overpaid inpatient rehab facilities by $8.4 million, OIG says
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 18, 2012
Inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) were overpaid by Medicare by $8.4 million between calendar year 2009 and 2010, a government report reveals.
Analysis: Medicare sequester cuts would reduce SNF payments by $9 billion over 10 years
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 17, 2012
Skilled nursing facilities in the most populous states will be the hardest hit if Congress enacts the 2% across-the-board cut in Medicare payments to providers, two new analyses predict.
OMB: Sequestration would cut $11 billion in Medicare payments to providers
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 17, 2012
Failed budget deficit negotiations in Congress could result in an $11- billion reduction in payments to Medicare providers, a government analysis released Friday predicts.
Type 2 diabetics more likely to develop UTIs, research finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 17, 2012
People with type 2 diabetes are more likely than non-diabetics to develop urinary tract infections, a British study recently found.
Slight dip in hospital readmission rates, MedPAC study finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 14, 2012
Hospital readmissions for Medicare beneficiaries dipped slightly between 2009 and 2011, which is good news for hospitals facing readmission penalties starting Oct. 1.