Help keep Holocaust survivors out of long-term care facilities, panelists urge Congressional lawmakers
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 17, 2014
Strenuous efforts should be made to provide aging Holocaust survivors with home care, because institutional settings tend to trigger post-traumatic stress disorder for this group, experts told lawmakers...
Providers can cheer widespread quality improvement, but infection control poses a challenge: AHCA report
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 03, 2013
More long-term care facilities are earning top marks in national quality ratings, but providers may need increased focus on infection control, according to the American Health Care Association’s...
CMS corrects therapy coding examples in RAI Manual
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 07, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has corrected some therapy coding information in the recently released Minimum Data Set 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument manual.
MedPAC unanimously votes to recommend site-neutral payments
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 16, 2015
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has unanimously voted to recommend site-neutral payments for certain post-acute services. Skilled nursing interests have championed the policy, but opponents also...
Report: Providers should prepare for managed care partnerships for dual-eligibles services
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 21, 2013
Managed care organizations are set to play a bigger role in how long-term care is provided for people currently eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, and providers should focus on having the right capabilities...
Collins to lead Aging committee, says Alzheimer’s will be special focus
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 09, 2015
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Thursday was elected chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, a group that frequently addresses issues related to long-term care.
Nurses who don’t pay taxes or student loans could trigger penalties for SNFs, expert says
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 07, 2014
Registered nurses who default on a student loan or fail to pay taxes could put a skilled nursing facility in the crosshairs of federal fraud investigators, a compliance expert told an audience Sunday at...
Heavily soiled healthcare linens not ‘regulated waste,’ OSHA confirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 16, 2013
Long-term care facilities and other healthcare providers are not required to dispose of contaminated linen as “regulated waste,” the Occupational Safety and Health Administration clarified...
Senate bill would prohibit certain types of payments to long-term care pharmacies
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 13, 2013
Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors (PDPs) would be barred from using certain payment structures to long-term care pharmacies under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Better anti-fraud efforts are not appeasing lawmakers
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 01, 2014
Long-term care facilities and other Medicare providers increasingly have seen reimbursements influenced by the government’s Fraud Prevention System, an official recently told a Congressional panel.