Government asks for suggestions on how to reduce Medicare appeals backlog
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 05, 2014
The federal government is asking the public to suggest ways of reducing Medicare appeals and cutting down on a backlog at the administrative law judge level. The request for information was filed by the...
Audits paused, providers glad
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 01, 2014
Long-term care providers are applauding a pause in the Medicare recovery audit contractor program.
Budget deal extends Medicare’s 2% cuts
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 09, 2014
Long-term care providers face an additional two years of reduced Medicare reimbursements under a federal budget compromise hammered out in December.
Medicaid-only long-term care residents driving up state expenditures, report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
Among people eligible for Medicaid but not Medicare, long-term care residents are most likely to be among the costliest beneficiaries for a state, according to a new report from the Government Accountability...
Shortchanging the Older Americans Act has led to unnecessary nursing home placements, senators say
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 17, 2014
Chronic underfunding of the Older Americans Act is leading to unnecessary long-term care facility admissions, Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) and 26 of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate said in a recent...
Long-term care providers, physicians at loggerheads over pace of doctor payment reform
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 11, 2014
Long-term care and physician groups may be headed for an impasse when it comes to fixing Medicare’s system for paying doctors.
Assigning nurses’ desired shifts improves their work ability and health, large study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 28, 2014
Nurses’ job performance and health are better when they can work the shifts that they want, suggests recently published findings from a large European study.
Court expresses concern over Omnicare drug packaging practices but dismisses False Claims suit
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 26, 2014
A whistleblower exposed disturbing drug packaging practices being used by long-term care pharmacy Omnicare Inc., but the charges don’t fall under the False Claims Act, a federal appeals court recently...
CMS should publicly push Congress to reform therapy payment system, long-term care provider association...
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 09, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should openly urge Congress to change the way therapy services are reimbursed, the nation’s largest long-term care provider association stated in recent...
High-profile consumer advocacy group sues over broken Medicare appeals process
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 27, 2014
Long-term care providers have been outspoken in their criticism of the Medicare appeals process, which has all but ground to a halt. Now a class-action lawsuit says Medicare beneficiaries also are being...