CMS offers a deal to hospitals to cut Medicare appeals backlog
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 03, 2014
In an effort to trim the huge backlog of Medicare claims appeals that has stymied long-term care and other providers, the government is offering a new way to settle some cases. Hospitals could receive...
Nursing homes to be judged by 21 new quality measures on federal website
Mar 04, 2011
The National Quality Forum on Wednesday came out in support of 21 measures to be used to care for both long-term nursing home residents and short-stay patients. These measures will be included in the Centers...
Nursing homes facing major challenges to Medicaid, Medicare, Yarwood says
Oct 06, 2009
Bruce Yarwood, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, Monday likened the problems facing long-term care to a “tsunami.”
Doc fix bill once again is less than LTC field had hoped for
By
John O'Connor
May 01, 2014
A measure President Barack Obama signed into law does a lot more for doctors than it does for long-term care operators.
Aggressive lobbying keeps seniors on Lucentis, prevents Medicare savings, USA TODAY article states
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 28, 2014
Lobbying efforts have ensured that long-term care residents and other seniors are commonly prescribed the expensive drug Lucentis, even though the less costly drug Avastin has proven equally effective,...
Long-term care groups fight National Labor Relations Board on collective bargaining issue
Mar 09, 2011
More than 50 long-term care organizations banded together Tuesday in an effort to maintain current collective bargaining procedures for healthcare unions. A National Labor Relations Board proposal would...
CMS work group recommends approach for employing former criminals in long-term care settings
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 19, 2013
Long-term care providers and states should agree on what a “direct access employee” is and whether that person has a criminal conviction that should keep him or her from working in a nursing...
CMS clarifies long-term care quality review in managed care models
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 23, 2013
Noting that long-term care increasingly is being provided through Medicaid managed care plans, the government has released guidance on how to monitor the quality of care in these systems.
Report: Long-term care providers pay the price for CMS’ poor auditor oversight
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 14, 2014
Long-term care and other providers could be facing unfair burdens due to ineffective government oversight of Medicare auditors, according to a new report from a federal watchdog agency.
State News
Apr 01, 2014
PENNSYLVANIA – The state’s nursing home operators say they are approaching fiscal disaster as facilities look at razor-thin margins half the national average.