Congress passes budget that would extend Medicare cuts, soften sequestration
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 19, 2013
A bipartisan budget deal is on the verge of becoming law, after being passed by the U.S. Senate in a 64-36 vote on Wednesday. Long-term care leaders called for passage of the two-year spending plan after...
Two-midnight rule sends hospital inpatient admissions crashing to record lows, analysis finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 19, 2013
A newly implemented admissions policy has driven hospital inpatient stays to record low levels, according to an analysis from researchers associated with Citigroup.
Ensuring nursing home quality is a top challenge for HHS in 2014, inspector general says
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 18, 2013
Promoting quality care in long-term care settings is one of the top management challenges facing the Department of Health and Human Services in the next year, according to a report from the agency’s...
Glaxo will stop paying doctors for speaking gigs in industry-leading change
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 18, 2013
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline will stop paying healthcare professionals to speak about its products, and will alter other marketing and compensation practices that are common in the industry but...
Newly endorsed quality measure assesses Medicare costs for a whole episode of care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 18, 2013
The National Quality Forum has endorsed a controversial hospital quality measure that assesses Medicare costs for a whole episode of care, including time spent in post-acute settings, the organization...
CDC to families: Press long-term care staff to get vaccinated for flu
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2013
Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention singled out long-term care professionals in a recent influenza vaccination briefing, calling on them to be vaccinated and urging family members...
Medical directors introduce program for improving dementia care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2013
Long-term care providers now can access a new interactive program for improving dementia care, developed by a prominent association of medical directors.
MedPAC recommends reimbursement freeze for hospice providers
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2013
Policymakers should freeze Medicare hospice reimbursements for 2015, according to recommendations supported by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
I saw the (nursing home) sign part II: Trouble in Goffstown
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2013
A small-town conflict over signage has pitted a New Hampshire nursing home against its neighbors — and might suggest some larger trends in long-term care.
Heavily soiled healthcare linens not ‘regulated waste,’ OSHA confirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 16, 2013
Long-term care facilities and other healthcare providers are not required to dispose of contaminated linen as “regulated waste,” the Occupational Safety and Health Administration clarified...