Some veterans who suffered traumatic brain injuries will have easier access to care through new regulations announced Friday by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Parkinson’s disease, unprovoked...
Proper evaluation documentation that supports nursing home billing the focus of webcast for clinicians
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 07, 2012
In light of recent allegations of gross upcoding in therapy circles, an upcoming webcast on appropriate patient evaluation and management documentation could prove popular. Alva Baker, M.D., CMD, who has...
Johns Hopkins surgeon implants 1st U.S. brain ‘pacemaker’ for Alzheimer’s disease
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 07, 2012
In an effort that is hoped to boost memory and reverse the mental slide of Alzheimer’s sufferers, surgeons placed a pacemaker-like device into the brain of a patient in the early stages of the disease....
Managed care experiment for dual-eligibles set to boom; observers worried
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 07, 2012
A federal experiment for dual-eligibles that hopes to cut Medicaid and Medicare costs through managed care is set to exponentially expand, and some are worried it is destined to fail, according to a report...
Judge orders former nursing home executive to repay $14 million
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 07, 2012
A well-known former nursing executive must repay the federal government $13.8 million for fraudulent business practices. U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi handed down the ruling for the misuse of...
National organizations defend ‘bed taxes’ in letters to White House, Congress
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 06, 2012
A group of 20 national healthcare organizations supporting current allowable “bed tax” levels, have asked the ceiling not be changed as part of current federal budget talks in a letter sent...
Majority of hospices exclude some patients due to Medicare daily fee, researchers discover
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 06, 2012
Despite the fact that hospice is one of the fastest growing parts of Medicare, 78% of surveyed hospice operators turned away patients with the potential for high-costing care, according to a new study...
Study predicts injury increase for medical professionals
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 06, 2012
High tech will mean high-risk for some healthcare workers, according to projections from a Cornell University ergonomics professor. The push to make healthcare high tech, which is being pumped with $20...
Life Care Centers of America denies massive Medicare fraud charges; judge criticizes feds in secret whistleblower...
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 05, 2012
A U.S. District Judge has called federal prosecutors’ years-long delay in announcing a Medicare fraud case involving one of the nation’s largest nursing home companies “absurd.”
Flu hits early and hard, especially in South, CDC says
By
McKnight's Staff
Dec 05, 2012
Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas have already reported high levels of flu activity, officials said.