‘Spending down’ for Medicaid is the most practical LTC financing plan for most Americans,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 14, 2014
Forgoing long-term care insurance and relying on Medicaid is the smartest financial planning decision for the majority of unmarried Americans, according to investigators at Boston College’s Center...
SNF staffing data will be submitted quarterly, payroll vendors might be responsible, CMS officials say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 14, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services soon will begin collecting quarterly staffing information from skilled nursing facilities, albeit on a voluntary basis, an official said during an Open Door...
3 tips for a strong SNF-hospice partnership
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 28, 2014
Easier said than done. That phrase often pops into my head when I read the latest long-term care research.
CMS: Nurse shortage means hospices can keep using contracted workers
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 08, 2014
Hospices can continue to rely on contract nurses because an ongoing nurse shortage is preventing providers from meeting their staffing needs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in a...
We serve the poor and aged (and love a great hotel)
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 07, 2014
Messages about how the long-term care sector exists to serve the neediest and most vulnerable can seem hollow here at the Gaylord National hotel, with its high-end steakhouse and a breathtaking glass atrium...
OK nursing home worker threatened to behead colleague in a terrorist act, authorities say
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 30, 2014
Police in Oklahoma City have arrested a nursing home worker who allegedly threatened to behead another staff member out of solidarity with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to news sources.
MedPAC chairman: Three-day stay requirement is ‘archaic’
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
The government should pay for skilled nursing care without a preliminary three-day hospital stay, and the recovery auditor program should be reformed, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission members said...
$1.3 million settlement marks second recent deal over SNF supervision of therapy providers
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
A Maryland nursing home company has agreed to a $1.3 million settlement over charges that it did not prevent overbilling by its contracted therapy provider, federal authorities announced Monday. This is...
Five-star ratings: What a racquet?
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 16, 2014
The provider community can sound downright oxymoronic when it comes to the five-star rating system for nursing homes.
Long-Term Care Commission members shed light on financing deliberations, urge continued political pressure
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 11, 2014
Long-term services and supports should be a major focus of next year’s White House Conference on Aging, and advocates should work to keep financing reform in the spotlight during the upcoming mid-term...