COVID vaccine mandate will survive legal challenges, experts believe
By
Kimberly Marselas
Danielle Brown
Nov 10, 2021
The Biden administration is confident that legal challenges to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers will ultimately fail, and legal experts are largely in agreement. As a result, they are...
COVID-19 vaccine mandate for surveyors? CMS clarifies
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 09, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans on issuing COVID-19 vaccination guidance covering surveyors charged with inspecting nursing homes, an agency spokesperson confirmed.
CMS urges: Start reviewing, planning and tracking staff COVID vaccinations now
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 08, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is calling on providers to immediately start reviewing the newly proposed healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccination regulation. They also should actually begin...
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.
CDC hopes $500 million will bring nursing homes, surveyors closer
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 04, 2021
Federal health leaders and long-term care stakeholders are hopeful that a new $500 million nursing home strike team program will be a collaborative partnership between providers and inspectors that reduces...
BREAKING: CMS finalizes therapy pay cuts in 2022 Physician Pay Rule, and extends COVID reporting period
By
Danielle Brown
James M. Berklan
Nov 02, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a 15% payment reduction for physical and occupational therapy assistants, and extended temporary telehealth services added to Medicare during the...
Nursing homes’ infection control oversight still called feds’ No. 1 problem
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 28, 2021
A federal watchdog agency remains hot on its investigation of nursing homes’ compliance with infection control regulations — and how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services oversees their progress.
New guidance affirms providers’ right to reject religious exemptions for COVID vaccinations due to...
By
Danielle Brown
James M. Berklan
Oct 27, 2021
Long-term care providers shouldn’t read too much into updated COVID-19 vaccination guidance on religious exemptions released this week by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to...
Resizing operations an option for providers struggling to rebound
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 27, 2021
COVID-19’s severe impact on the long-term care industry has forced many providers to resize operations while they weather the storm — but the key to succeeding depends on how well operators know their...
Three-day stay waiver, fire safety allowances extended into 2022
By
Danielle Brown
Oct 21, 2021
The temporary waiver for Medicare’s three-day stay requirement will continue at least into January after the COVID-19 public health crisis designation was extended by Health and Human Services Secretary...