House to vote on skilled nursing facility readmissions penalties, ICD-10 extension
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities could see reimbursements tied to their number of hospital readmissions starting in 2018, under Medicare legislation announced by House and Senate leaders Wednesday. The bill...
Ground-level falls lead to high rates of SNF admission, return trips to the hospital, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 12, 2014
Even if they do not hit the ground from a great height, elderly people who seek hospital care for a fall commonly go on to a skilled nursing facility, according to a recently published study. These seniors...
SNF discharges tied to income
By
Elizabeth Newman
Nov 01, 2013
The rate at which nursing home residents are hospitalized is linked to how well a state provides healthcare for low-income people, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund. Minnesota was the top...
Close, specific hospital-SNF partnerships drive down readmission rates, researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 30, 2013
A strong relationship between a hospital and a skilled nursing facility reduces the readmission rate among patients discharged to that SNF, according to recently published research.
People don’t ‘get’ me: Tips for the misunderstood long-term care provider
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 24, 2013
Do you ever feel that people don’t really “get” what you do as a long-term care provider? You might take heart from the fact that professionals in other fields also feel this way, according...
Kindred teams with Omnicare, splits with skilled nursing pharmacy PharMerica
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 24, 2013
Major long-term care provider Kindred Healthcare will split with its current pharmacy partner, PharMerica, and team with the sector’s largest pharmacy, Omnicare, at the end of 2013, according to...
CMS updates SNF Medicare manual to implement sequestration cuts
By
McKnight's Staff
May 16, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated the online Medicare Provider Reimbursement Manual, modifying instructions related to the 2% reimbursement reductions resulting from sequestration.
AHCA praises bipartisan effort to repeal SNF therapy caps
By
McKnight's Staff
Feb 19, 2013
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living came out in support of bipartisan legislation to permanently repeal Medicare Part B therapy caps for skilled nursing facilities....
Turning a challenge into an opportunity
By
John O'Connor
Jul 27, 2012
Many nursing home administrators are not sleeping well these days. If it’s any consolation, hospital administrators are probably catching even fewer winks.
Dear, sweet stubborn grandmother!
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jul 09, 2012
I love my grandma dearly. She’s still going strong, living independently in a ranch-style house. But while her stubbornness may be the reason she lives such full and active lifestyle, it’s...