Care Compare promotes selfish provider goals when it comes to admission and retention policies, researchers...
By
Joe Bush
Oct 05, 2022
The system used to rate nursing homes’ quality needs to be given more oversight in order to discourage admission practices providers employ to pump up their ratings, said authors of a research letter...
AHCA: To avoid new COVID testing citations, heed manufacturers’ use instructions
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 30, 2022
LTC facilities must adhere to manufacturers’ use instructions after a CMS change in enforcement discretion for COVID testing, the advocate says.
With new CDC guidance, providers duck ‘up-to-date’ vaccination concerns
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 27, 2022
While masking and screening of nursing home workers and visitors may no longer be required in areas with lower COVID-19 transmission rates, vaccination and testing efforts will be crucial if providers...
New CMS data platform raises concerns about access, worker privacy
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 20, 2022
A technology change is raising concerns about data access and worker privacy as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services transitions to a new, more secure data-reporting process.
OIG partly blames CMS for Life Care Centers deficiencies
By
Joe Bush
Sep 20, 2022
A federal watchdog said a lack of communication by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may have caused infection control deficiency citations at Life Care Centers of America nursing homes between...
New nursing home staffing headache? CMS and GAO agree new requirements needed for infection preventionists
By
Joe Bush
Sep 15, 2022
First came the federal requirement that every nursing home must have an infection control preventionist on staff. Now, a government watchdog says that minimum training requirements should be established...
Providers, Congress ratchet up pressure on CMS to extend nurse-aide certification waiver
By
Joe Bush
Sep 14, 2022
Members of Congress last week asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to support flexibilities to help with the nation’s SNF staffing crisis.
Key senator pressures state survey agencies over staffing-related delays
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 13, 2022
Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) is demanding state survey agencies report information on extensive delays, staffing shortages and other challenges in the nursing home inspection process.
Nursing homes fire back after CMS warning about ‘exploitative’ debt-collection practices
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 12, 2022
A warning letter sent late last week by federal regulators about nursing home debt collection practices was overblown and obscured another significant problem, nursing home operations experts said over...
Next nursing home reform target: Emergency preparedness?
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 02, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may soon intensify its reform agenda focus on emergency planning, one of many areas targeted in President Biden’s 21-point nursing home plan unveiled earlier...