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...
Governors divided on Medicaid expansion, creating uncertain fiscal forecast for long-term care operators
By
McKnight's Staff
Jan 18, 2013
There are likely to be notable gaps in Medicaid coverage through the nation when major parts of the Affordable Care Act go into effect on the first day of 2014, according to a New England Journal of Medicine...
Comments on a public conference call led to whistleblower lawsuit against nursing home therapy provider
By
McKnight's Staff
May 28, 2013
Comments made during a therapy provider’s public conference call in 2006 aroused the suspicion of a listener, who went on to file a whistleblower lawsuit. This was disclosed in a recent court filing...
SNF margins cut in half, Alliance report says
By
McKnight's Staff
May 31, 2013
With income margins decimated by Medicare and Medicaid cuts and access to capital strangled, skilled nursing facilities will be unable to care for the nation’s booming senior population unless changes...
CMS issues more in-depth survey guidelines to reduce readmissions; invites comments on assistant reporting
By
McKnight's Staff
May 20, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the provider certification manual for hospitals, giving more in-depth guidelines around discharge planning. The goal is for hospitals to reduce...
Pacemaker could be effective in milder form of heart failure, study finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Oct 09, 2012
A pacemaker typically only used in advanced cases of heart failure could be an effective treatment in milder cases too, according to Swedish researchers.
Failure to prepare for MDS updates in the next 10 days could be costly, expert warns
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 21, 2012
If skilled nursing facilities are not prepared for the MDS 3.0 changes that will go into effect April 1, 2012, the consequences could be expensive, a top expert warned Wednesday.
Low-quality Medicare Advantage plans should expect scrutiny, CMS says
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 13, 2012
Medicare Advantage plans with fewer than five stars on the quality scale should expect some form of audit, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid official said this week.
Government report: Family size, obesity rate among question marks as long-term care spending surges
By
McKnight's Staff
Jul 01, 2013
Long-term services and supports could increase from 1.3% of the U.S. gross domestic product to more than 3% by 2050, according to a recent Congressional Budget Office analysis.
Too much provider consolidation leads to higher healthcare costs, expert says
By
McKnight's Staff
Jan 30, 2013
Healthcare providers are increasing coordination to reduce the cost of care, but overly zealous consolidation can actually end up costing more, an expert panelist said at a Monday briefing.