A possible escape from the nursing home staffing mandate?
By
James M. Berklan
May 14, 2023
There may be a silver lining to the excruciating wait providers are enduring for the White House’s nursing home staffing mandate.
Therapists anxious without CMS guidance on telehealth coverage post-PHE
By
James M. Berklan
May 12, 2023
Therapy groups serving long-term care and other institutional providers were left hanging Thursday as the public health emergency officially lapsed and federal regulators still had not given clarification...
Providers tepidly embrace CMS plan to revoke ‘no longer needed’ vax mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 03, 2023
Skilled nursing providers on Tuesday cheered the federal government’s decision to revoke its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
Nursing homes have to fight for pay protections in Medicare Advantage rule: expert
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 27, 2023
Providers must play an active role in stopping aggressive Medicare Advantage practices that have for years limited access to skilled nursing care, a top managed care expert warned administrators gathered...
Cost, conversion of long-stay residents fuel resistance to 3-day stay waiver
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 26, 2023
A new study of a key COVID-19 waiver backs up longstanding concerns that removing a hospital stay as a requirement for Medicare-covered nursing home care would shift too many long-term residents to skilled...
CMS eyeing PDPM case-mix additions, changes
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 24, 2023
Federal regulators are weighing changes to the three-year-old Patient Driven Payment Model to account for missed opportunities — and potentially inappropriate coding choices — a top Medicare official...
CMS ‘demonizing’ private equity with rule that could scare away skilled nursing investors
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Apr 17, 2023
A proposed rule to make nursing home ownership more transparent could instead scare off private equity investments, leaving facilities without much-needed capital, experts warn as federal regulators enter...
Data lapses did not affect Five-Star ratings, CMS says as providers call for review of agency’s...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 13, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Wednesday it was taking “seriously” a damning report that questioned the accuracy of information it posted on its Care Compare site, but added that...
Feds broaden nursing home quality campaign with new discharge, satisfaction and vaccination measures
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 10, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made one thing clear when it issued its newly proposed nursing home pay rule last week: Promoting nursing home quality improvement is driving policy formation.
Feds’ value-based changes present ‘long overdue’ opening for SNFs
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 06, 2023
Payment and quality experts on Wednesday described extensive changes proposed for skilled nursing’s value-based purchasing program as “long overdue” and a way to “reset the playing field.”