Nursing home doctor admits billing for deceased residents, faces up to 45 years in prison
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 21, 2014
A Seattle physician has admitted that he filed hundreds of fraudulent Medicare claims for nursing home services, including some claims for residents who were deceased, according to news reports.
Long-term care groups applaud a pause in Medicare audits, urge permanent changes
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 21, 2014
Long-term care stakeholders are praising the government’s decision to temporarily pause the recovery audit contractor program, which is associated with a huge backlog of Medicare claims appeals.
Brookdale, Emeritus to merge
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
Brookdale Senior Living and Emeritus Senior Living will merge in a $2.8 billion deal, creating a new behemoth in the long-term care sector, the companies announced today.
Medicaid-only long-term care residents driving up state expenditures, report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
Among people eligible for Medicaid but not Medicare, long-term care residents are most likely to be among the costliest beneficiaries for a state, according to a new report from the Government Accountability...
Antidepressant Celexa could be an alternative to antipsychotic medication for Alzheimer’s, study...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
An antidepressant drug could help relieve agitation symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, reducing reliance on antipsychotic medications, according to recently published study results.
CMS memo explains four-part testing approach for ICD-10 implementation
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
A new transmittal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides details about its four-part approach to implementing ICD-10 codes for Medicare fee-for-service claims. Medicare providers will...
Eighth annual McKnight’s Online Expo to kick off March 26
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 19, 2014
For the eighth year, the McKnight’s Online Expo is set to deliver practical, timely information to long-term care providers at an unbeatable price point. The 2014 Expo, taking place March 26 and...
More than 20% of Medicare beneficiaries seek hospital care within a month of nursing home discharge,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 19, 2014
A large number of rehabilitation patients seek hospital care shortly after being discharged from a nursing facility, according to recently published research.
Nursing homes’ security threatened by information posted to hacker website
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 19, 2014
Documents posted to a file-sharing website could have been used to steal medical record and credit card information from three nursing homes in New York state, according to a Tuesday report in the Wall...
No proven connection between long-term care staffing levels and quality of care, researchers say
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 18, 2014
Despite some high-profile reports, nursing home staffing levels have not been definitively linked to better care, according to a recently published analysis of research on the topic.