New CMS administrator among the expected changes, as Clinton and Trump set up transition teams
By
Elizabeth Newman
Aug 19, 2016
As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump prepare their transition teams as part of their hoped-for march to the White House, one position is sure to catch long-term care officials’ notice: The future...
Presidential election, Medicaid expansion crucial to future of nursing home funding
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 26, 2012
If President Obama is re-elected in November, governors who have resisted implementing the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion will likely change their tune, a former government official speculated...
CMS updates coding instructions for hospice site of service, principal diagnosis
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 02, 2014
A new Medicare hospice manual update includes instructions for which principal diagnosis codes are acceptable, and clarifies which codes should be used for services in a skilled versus non-skilled nursing...
LeadingAge rallies against proposed Medicare, Medicaid changes
By
John Hall
Aug 24, 2015
A leading nursing home advocate is mustering support to combat massive changes the administration has proposed for Medicare and Medicaid participation.
CMS revises hospice rules
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 02, 2013
A long-term care provider and its hospice partner will need to draw up a detailed contract, according to a final rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and published in the Federal...
CMS may not cover bariatric surgery for non-obese diabetics
Nov 24, 2008
Medicare would not cover bariatric surgeries for people who have diabetes but are not morbidly obese, according to a policy proposed recently by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Regulations for nursing home ethics programs and QAPI still in the works, administrators say
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 22, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is still working on the regulations for ethics and compliance programs that nursing homes were supposed to have implemented this month, CMS administrators admitted...
Medicare coverage for bariatric surgeries left up to discretion of administrative contractors
Jun 29, 2012
Long-term care operators struggling to meet the needs of obese residents could get some help from Medicare.
CMS debuts antipsychotic drug reduction program
By
McKnight's Staff
May 30, 2012
Federal officials unveiled a medication reduction initiative with an ambitious goal: trimming antipsychotic drug use among residents by 15% this year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’...
Medicare beneficiaries supportive of ACOs, despite rough start
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 11, 2012
Despite a somewhat rocky start, Medicare beneficiaries have been supportive of accountable care organizations, a government official said.