CMS: Nursing home Medicare cuts helped keep healthcare spending at historic low levels
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 07, 2014
Dramatic Medicare cuts to skilled nursing facilities played a significant part in keeping healthcare spending low in 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday.
Dual eligibles in nursing homes have fewer hospitalizations than those in home- and community-based care,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 19, 2014
Elderly, frail people are more likely to be hospitalized if they are receiving home- or community-based services than if they live in a nursing home, according to newly published research. Recent Medicaid...
Hospitals slap the government with lawsuits over ‘two-midnight’ policy to reduce observation...
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 16, 2014
The American Hospital Association and other hospital groups have sued the federal government over the so-called “two-midnight rule,” which was designed in part to ease access to skilled nursing...
RACs recovered $8,000 from skilled nursing facilities, $2.3 billion overall in 2012, report shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors collected about $8,000 in fiscal year 2012 through a skilled nursing facility claims review pilot, according to a recently released annual report to Congress.
Government releases first-of-its-kind toolkit to help hospitals, post-acute facilities reduce Medicaid...
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 22, 2014
Hospital partnerships with post-acute and long-term care facilities are crucial to reducing Medicaid readmissions, and providers now can refer to a new report and free toolkit to help forge these relationships,...
Kill inpatient eligibility requirement for skilled care, former CMS chief Berwick says
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 04, 2013
The former head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has said the agency should scrap a rule requiring three days as a hospital inpatient to qualify for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing...
Code status ‘cheat sheet’ draws scrutiny, nursing home challenges neglect finding
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 12, 2014
A “cheat sheet” to track residents’ code status has become a source of controversy in the case of a Minnesota man who died without being given CPR, according to local news sources.
Skilled nursing facility readmissions should be an ACO quality measure, government proposes in payment...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 08, 2014
Accountable care organizations should be assessed on the number of people who return to a member hospital within 30 days of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Jimmo guidance: Document whether therapy is for restoration or maintenance before providing care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 20, 2013
In seeking Medicare reimbursement, skilled nursing facilities should not claim that therapy was to maintain a patient’s condition if documentation reflected only an improvement goal, according to...
Providers should expect ‘disruption’ but are ready for Five Star changes, Parkinson says
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 10, 2014
Coming changes to the Five Star rating system for nursing homes will “cause some disruption,” but many long-term care providers already are on track, according to American Health Care Association/National...