Regulator insists brutal honesty from providers can turn the tide on Medicaid
By
Kimberly Marselas
Oct 18, 2022
DENVER — Despite perceptions of state officials being unapproachable or reluctant to help long-term care providers, the right provider stories can influence policies and help shift funding in the right...
COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadlines push providers
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 17, 2022
With every state but Texas now covered by rules mandating when workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, providers are facing increased urgency around ongoing vaccination campaigns.
Providers tell CMS it’s ‘decidedly’ the wrong time to toy with PDPM rates
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 03, 2021
Providers need more time before the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would implement any adjustments to PDPM payment rates, operators and associations have told the agency in official comments.
Don’t shelve rapid tests as COVID cases climb, advocates implore nursing homes
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 03, 2020
Industry advocates say it’s time for facility operators who have not made full use of rapid antigen tests to start doing so — before nursing home deaths begin to spike again. CMS must “take to...
Major nursing home association urges COVID emergency extension, revised guidance
By
John Hall
Aug 10, 2022
The nation’s largest nursing home group has requested the federal government extend the current public health emergency declaration as providers continue their fight against emerging COVID variants.
Booster shots in LTC? Feds pledge quick approval of new drugs
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 24, 2021
Booster shots that target emergent coronavirus strains could be welcome protection for LTC residents if the drugs meet efficacy and safety standards, clinicians say.
Require COVID-19 vaccination of all healthcare workers, seven clinical groups say
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 14, 2021
Their evidence-based verdict: healthcare institutions and facilities — including long-term care facilities — should require that their personnel be vaccinated as a condition of employment.
New COVID vaccine threats emerge as mandate ends
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 11, 2023
The end of the nationwide healthcare worker requirement came as good news to many who saw it as an obstacle to hiring. Yet experts warned that the federal change could lead to new and potentially costly...
‘Fully vaccinated’ may be moving target in face of breakthroughs, omicron
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 29, 2021
More than a week after federal health officials greenlighted booster shots for all American adults, questions remain about what it means to be “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 — and whether that...