Telemedicine reduces nursing homes’ hospital readmissions if staff engagement is high, researchers...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 04, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities that implement a telemedicine service and teach staff to use it could reduce their hospital readmissions, but current payment systems do not encourage this, according to a forthcoming...
Dual eligibles more likely to go from hospitals to lower quality nursing homes, referral process might...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 27, 2014
People eligible both for Medicare and Medicaid go to lower-quality nursing homes after being hospitalized at a rate higher than Medicare-only patients, according to researchers from Brown and Harvard universities.
MedPAC renews call for long-term care payment cuts, draws fire from providers
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 13, 2013
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended a 4% reduction in skilled nursing facility payments in 2016, prompting an outcry from providers.
Bill would increase dental services in nursing homes
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 20, 2013
A bill introduced in both houses of Congress seeks to expand Medicare coverage for dental services and provide more oral care in long-term care facilities.
It’s time to stop long-term care state rankings
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 24, 2014
Minnesota routinely is named best state for long-term care, as it was last week in AARP’s 2014 scorecard. AARP held a panel discussion to unveil the rankings, and of course an official from Minnesota...
Newly endorsed quality measure assesses Medicare costs for a whole episode of care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 18, 2013
The National Quality Forum has endorsed a controversial hospital quality measure that assesses Medicare costs for a whole episode of care, including time spent in post-acute settings, the organization...
Nursing homes send too many dementia residents to the hospital in their last year of life, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 11, 2014
Nursing homes could do a better job of keeping residents with dementia out of the hospital during their last year of life, suggests recently published findings in Health Affairs.
Support for Medicare-style, government long-term care insurance program surges, large AP-University of...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 20, 2014
The idea of a government-run long-term care insurance program similar to Medicare has become much more popular in the last year, according to the findings of a large nationwide survey. Independent research...
Lack of data causes doctors to steer patients to unnecessary post-acute care, experts say
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 28, 2013
Without solid research about how discharged hospital patients fare in various post-acute settings, cautious doctors are ordering more intensive and expensive care than is needed, according to medical experts...
Nursing homes beneficial for Medicare program, researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 28, 2013
Nursing homes often decrease residents’ need for services covered under Medicare, according to new research published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The results reinforce the idea...