About 40% of US adults risk developing serious COVID-19 illness
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 19, 2020
While most adults will recover without needing special treatment, chronic disease puts millions at high risk of poor outcomes, say researchers.
OIG partly blames CMS for Life Care Centers deficiencies
By
Joe Bush
Sep 20, 2022
A federal watchdog said a lack of communication by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may have caused infection control deficiency citations at Life Care Centers of America nursing homes between...
BREAKING: Federal regulators tout $15M in fines, tripling of ‘Immediate Jeopardy’ citations against...
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 14, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday afternoon that it has levied more than $15 million in fines and tripled the most severe type of citations to nursing homes during the six months...
CMS revises COVID-19 vaccine mandate guidance
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 06, 2022
Workers at skilled nursing and other long-term care facilities that have been suspended or are on extended leave won’t count against the providers as “unvaccinated staff,” according to new updated...
Nursing homes appeal expulsion from Medicaid over alleged COVID-19 failures
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 06, 2020
At least two Massachusetts providers are fighting back after receiving termination notices from the state’s Medicaid program over COVID-19 responses deemed unacceptable.
COVID test turnaround time tops 2 days for a third of nursing homes, data show
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 13, 2020
Among 13,000 facilities that provided their testing speed to the government, only 17% reported an average turnaround time of less than a day; and fully 29% waited three days or more on average for residents’...
HHS lets suspense mount on remaining Provider Relief Funds
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 05, 2021
The Department of Health and Human Services is remaining quiet on how and when it plans to redistribute the approximate $24 billion of what’s left in the Provider Relief Fund.
Lawmakers want Obama-era infection control regulations for nursing homes restored
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 10, 2021
Stricter infection control and emergency preparedness regulations could be on the horizon for skilled nursing and other long-term care providers if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services grants a...
BREAKING: CMS ends nurse aide certification waiver, many other COVID-19 allowances
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 07, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is restoring training requirements for nurse aides who work at skilled nursing facilities after waiving them early during the COVID-19 crisis.
Fauci and colleagues: Expect a diagnostic challenge this flu season — and stress vaccine education
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Alicia Lasek
Oct 02, 2020
A winter featuring flu and COVID-19 may create a diagnostic muddle for clinicians, said NIAID Director Anthony Fauci in a Thursday news conference. There is a pressing need to educate patients about getting...