Supreme Court to rule on whether providers can sue states over inadequate Medicaid rates
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 06, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on whether private sector healthcare providers can sue states to increase Medicaid reimbursements, the high court announced Thursday. Based on previous rulings,...
Federal judge OKs statistical sampling of nursing home claims to support fraud charges
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 06, 2014
The government can use a statistical sample of a nursing home company’s Medicare claims to help prove overbilling charges, a federal judge recently decided in an unprecedented ruling.
Former nursing home worker charged with ‘terrorism hoax’ for beheading threat
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 06, 2014
A former nursing home worker in Oklahoma might only have been joking when he threatened to behead a colleague, but he still could spend 10 years in prison if convicted on “terrorism hoax” charges,...
…They all screamed for ice cream
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
Halloween candy might be on most people’s minds as they turn the calendar to October. But it’ll be hard for residents at one Missouri nursing home to top the sweet treat they had in the dog...
Alleged overuse of antipsych drugs leads to federal case
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
A pair of California nursing homes are facing federal False Claims Act charges for allegedly overmedicating residents with antipsychotics and other drugs.
Hospice billings changed
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently updated instructions on coding hospice claims. Billing staffs should be aware of these changes, which went into effect Oct. 1, CMS stated in a memorandum...
Latest ACO dropout blames issues with payment system
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
A California healthcare system recently became the latest dropout from the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization program, citing the fact that payments are not adjusted by region. Sharp HealthCare announced...
Empower NPs, reduce hospitalizations
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
Maximizing the authority of nurse practitioners is associated with reduced hospitalization of skilled nursing facility residents, according to findings recently published in Nursing Outlook.
Let there be light for better nurse health, patient care
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
Creating workspaces with natural light could improve nurses’ job performance and health, Cornell University researchers believe.
SNF, CCRC spending expected to rise 69%
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 01, 2014
Spending on nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities is expected to roughly keep pace with total U.S. healthcare spending during the next decade, according to the annual “National...