GAO: Despite efforts, Medicaid still vulnerable to improper payments
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Feb 01, 2017
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has taken steps to prevent improper Medicaid payments, but gaps still remain in making sure providers are properly vetted, according to a federal report released...
CMS: ‘Significant’ changes to final rule driven by provider comments
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Oct 07, 2016
Some of the biggest differences between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rules for long-term care providers and the final rule released late last month reflect providers’...
SNF to pay $345,000 to settle class-action lawsuit over drug prescribing practices
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Jun 15, 2017
A California skilled nursing facility has agreed to pay $345,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming the highly-rated provider prescribed residents psychotropic drugs without consent from them or...
SNF operator to pay $1 million to settle genetic testing fraud allegations
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Apr 12, 2017
A Louisville, KY-based skilled nursing facility operator has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to clear up claims related to its role in a genetic testing scheme that violated the False Claims Act, the Department...
OIG: Hospices need to better certify terminally ill patients to avert fraud
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Sep 16, 2016
Hospice providers need to ensure their physicians have properly certified that a Medicare beneficiary is appropriate for hospice care, federal officials urged in a report released Thursday.
Study: Facial injuries in SNFs ‘underappreciated,’ contribute significantly to healthcare...
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Mar 23, 2017
Facial injuries suffered by nursing home residents may be flying under the radar and adding a “substantial amount of costs” to the U.S. healthcare system, a recent study shows.
A Day in the Life: Rehabilitation rumba
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Sep 05, 2016
When Mary Moreland was first pitched the idea of a dance competition for rehabilitation residents, she was hesitant. Moreland, the director of rehabilitation at Twin Pines Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers...
Directives not in good order
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Feb 05, 2017
Many nursing home providers are missing chances to cut costs and reduce unnecessary care by not having residents’ advance directives on file, or orderly, a recent study found.
LTC the overwhelming source of Legionnaires’ in healthcare facilities, CDC says
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Jun 08, 2017
Legionnaires’ disease tends to be more common and deadly within post-acute care facilities than others — and providers need to do more to reduce the risk to residents, health officials announced...
CMS drops appeal in arbitration lawsuit, proposes revisions to agreement requirements
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Jun 06, 2017
In what is being seen as a victory for long-term care providers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has abandoned its appeal of a court ruling blocking its prohibition of pre-dispute nursing...