Debt ceiling deal may limit new health agency spending, jumpstart fraud efforts
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 31, 2023
A deal to avert a debt-ceiling crisis and fund the government next year could place new limits on federal health spending while also giving a boost to healthcare fraud and abuse investigations.
Claims audit will affect every nursing home starting June 5
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 30, 2023
Every skilled nursing facility in the US will be subject to a five-claim audit starting the week of June 5 as regulators try to better assess and root out improper payments.
3 nursing homes closing quickly as Ohio leaders plead for Medicaid adjustment
By
Jessica R. Towhey
May 24, 2023
Three nursing homes in Cincinnati, OH, are closing, and sector advocates blame the stress that insufficient Medicaid rates and workforce challenges are putting on facilities.
It was 1983 when Yvonne Eaddy joined VNS Health (then known as The Visiting Nurse Service of New York) as a public health nurse visiting the homes of both the elderly and children in need of a lifeline.
‘Impossible’ Medicare Advantage denials decried during Senate hearing
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 18, 2023
A Senate subcommittee Wednesday sent letters to the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers, demanding they reveal internal documents that illustrate how they make coverage determinations.
Switch to new MDS platform underpins feds’ growing drive for nursing home data
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 18, 2023
Providers should view the change to the iQies system as just the first step in an ongoing process to make it easier for federal regulators to gather and evaluate nursing home statistics.
Program that diagnosed fractures virtually led to fewer ER visits for LTC residents: study
By
Alicia Lasek
May 14, 2023
A program that enabled virtual diagnosis and on-site fracture care kept 100% of participating LTC residents out of the emergency department and cut the need for clinic visits, a new study reveals.
National Skilled Nursing Care Week kicks off Sunday
By
James M. Berklan
May 12, 2023
“Cultivating Kindness” is the theme of this year’s National Skilled Nursing Care Week, which begins Sunday. The annual event starts each year on Mother’s Day.
Feds extend window for Provider Relief Funds, but will it matter?
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 11, 2023
Skilled nursing operators that didn’t land Provider Relief Funding in the federal COVID program’s final award phase might be in for a surprise — or they could ultimately face another round of disappointment.
As behavioral health demands grow, new federal center offers free SNF training
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 10, 2023
As federal regulators heighten pressure on skilled nursing facilities to accept and treat patients with mental health needs and substance abuse disorders, a new center is ramping up to equip providers...