UPDATED: Healthcare worker vaccine mandate back on for 26 states
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 16, 2021
Long-term care providers in 26 states will still have to comply with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate after a federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed a nationwide block against the rule.
HHS extends coverage for COVID-19 screening at nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 01, 2020
Nursing homes in states that prohibit the use of point-of-care COVID-19 tests to screen for the disease can now do so after the Department of Health and Human Services extended coverage to include congregate...
New CMS guidance allows focused COVID testing during outbreak investigations
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 13, 2021
Updated guidance released Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gives nursing homes more options for conducting a COVID-19 outbreak investigation after a positive test occurs.
2.2% Medicare raise slated for nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 03, 2020
Nursing home operators will receive an aggregate $750 million Medicare pay increase for fiscal year 2021 under a final rule announced Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It would amount...
Proposal would require HHS to create nursing home strike teams for infection control
By
Danielle Brown
Jul 29, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services would have to develop strike teams that would help nursing homes test residents for COVID-19 and assist with infection control practices under the GOP’s newly...
BREAKING: CMS says all healthcare staff must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 04, 2021
Long-term care staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 under a new healthcare worker vaccination rule released early Thursday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
One-time universal testing at nursing homes would cost $440M, AHCA says; most nursing homes on track...
By
Danielle Brown
May 21, 2020
Just one round of testing every nursing home resident and staff member would cost about $440 million nationwide, according to data released Wednesday by the American Health Care Association/National Center...
CMS official confirms agency considering direct care spending minimums for nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 13, 2022
Federal health officials hinted that nursing home providers may soon be forced to spend a minimum of their Medicaid funding on direct care.
PBJ staff reporting deadline looms for providers
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 28, 2022
The final submission deadline for nursing homes to report their staffing data for last quarter in the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) is just weeks away.
Lawmakers want fresh LTC vaccination data in MDS, on Nursing Home Compare
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 04, 2021
A pair of prominent lawmakers are urging the federal government to provide ongoing data updates about the progress of its COVID-19 vaccination program at long-term care facilities in a push for more transparency.