Bill would credit observation stays toward ‘three-night rule’
By
John Hall
Mar 24, 2015
A bill introduced in Congress on Monday would count all time that Medicare beneficiaries spend under hospital “observation” status toward the three-day inpatient requirement necessary to receive...
Assisted living residents with dementia receiving too many antipsychotics, GAO says
By
John Hall
Mar 03, 2015
Government investigators are calling for greater scrutiny of antipsychotics use among dementia patients in post-acute settings beyond nursing homes.
Medicare bill would boost transitions to long-term care, other settings
By
John Hall
Jun 02, 2014
Federal lawmakers have introduced a bill designed to improve coordination of care and services for Medicare beneficiaries as they move from one setting to another.
PharMerica settles whistleblower complaint for $31.5 million
By
John Hall
May 19, 2015
National pharmacy services provider PharMerica said it has entered into separate agreements with the government and revised its controlled substances dispensing policies following a whistleblower lawsuit...
CMS actuary throws cold water on ‘doc fix’ bill projections
By
John Hall
Apr 12, 2015
Long-term care leaders who have widely endorsed a House proposal to permanently “fix” the Sustainable Growth Rate formula, might be suffering buyer’s remorse after learning Friday that...
Nurses, assistants most injury prone in healthcare: CDC
By
John Hall
Apr 30, 2015
Healthcare jobs have long been among the riskiest, most dangerous and injury-prone occupations around. Nurses and nurse assistants are the unluckiest among them, according to a new report from the Centers...
Swelling Medicaid rolls have states, providers worried
By
John Hall
Feb 18, 2015
California’s Medicaid-eligible rolls are swelling as part of a nationwide expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act, a finding that should give other states’ Medicaid agencies...
Floods force evacuations in NE, OK facilities
By
John Hall
May 12, 2015
Several long-term care facilities across Oklahoma and Nebraska were damaged by flash floods after severe weather and high winds tore through the nation’s midsection last weekend, forcing resident...
Generic but not simple
By
John Hall
Oct 06, 2017
Pharmacists view new generics wave with caution, urge close look at regimens
Benefits of aneurysm screenings doubtful, say researchers
By
John Hall
Mar 05, 2015
British researchers warned this week that routine screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in over-65 males may be doing more harm than good.