Nurse practitioners will do more in skilled nursing facilities if ICAN Act becomes law
By
Joe Bush
Dec 13, 2022
US Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is championing a bill authorizing nurse practitioners to expand their capabilities, including performing all mandatory examinations in skilled nursing facilities.
In the quest for Medicare patients, Yelp stars outshine Care Compare
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 22, 2023
More consumers are turning to social media review platforms to help choose a nursing home for family members, but the reviews can be skewed by anecdotal and personal evidence, a new study shows.
In-house hospice unit bucks long-standing SNF underuse
By
Joe Bush
Oct 27, 2022
While many nursing home patients who would qualify for hospice care never get it, a Pennsylvania provider is shoring up its efforts around end-of-life care with a new 16-bed hospice unit.
Stuck in the middle, LTC pharmacies could be dangerously squeezed by drug price negotiations
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 01, 2023
Any lower drug prices that result from White House efforts to negotiate on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries may lead to short-term gains for nursing homes, but there also could be a steep price to pay...
Providers grateful for certain opportunities in proposed 2025 Medicare pay rule
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 02, 2024
Even though debate will continue about how much Medicare reimbursement should rise next year, there’s little disagreement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services got at least a few things right...
As new year approaches, operational and regulatory changes pile up
By
Joe Bush
Dec 21, 2022
A series of significant regulatory changes are expected to hit skilled nursing over the course of 2023, but experts are also warning providers not to lose sight of some smaller but still important changes...
Study: 1 in 5 people on Medicare travel more than 50 miles to see neurologist
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 14, 2023
Nearly 20% of people on Medicare have to travel 50 or more miles to see their neurologists — and that’s just one way. This means that people who receive care for neurological issues have to make quite...
Also in the News for Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 13, 2024
Nurse accused of killing nursing home patients with insulin seeks quick case resolution … New Senate working group to reform Medicare physician pay system, with possible SNF implications … Healthpeak...
Study: Medicare warnings cut antipsychotics in nursing home residents, others
By
Kristen Fischer
Apr 26, 2024
When Medicare sent warning letters urging doctors to lower antipsychotic prescriptions, it worked, a report published Thursday in JAMA Network Open found.
Also in the News for Wednesday, March 8
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 08, 2023
SNF operating costs increase at nearly twice the rate of revenue: 2023 Marcum Benchmark study … South Dakota Senate defeats effort to fund nursing homes at 100% of costs … Three years after opening,...