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.
Hospitalized seniors likely to need family help, study finds
By
Elizabeth Newman
Mar 01, 2014
Nearly half of hospitalized seniors facing a major treatment decision require help from family members, a new study finds.
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...
CMS: Many skilled nursing providers have poor Medicare certification and recertification practices
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 22, 2014
The rate of improper Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities has increased largely due to issues with certification and recertification statements, according to a recently released government memorandum....
The mythical standard
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 01, 2013
The Jimmo vs. Sebelius case, filed in January 2011 in federal district court in Vermont, has now been settled. The class action lawsuit challenged Medicare’s use of an “improvement standard”...
Ask the legal expert … about due diligence when being recruited
By
John Durso
Feb 01, 2013
I’m an administrator and am being recruited by a skilled nursing facility with past legal troubles. What should I do to satisfy myself that this facility has cleaned up its act and would be a good...
CMS updates coding instructions for hospice site of service, principal diagnosis
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 02, 2014
A new Medicare hospice manual update includes instructions for which principal diagnosis codes are acceptable, and clarifies which codes should be used for services in a skilled versus non-skilled nursing...
Fix flaws before changing nursing home pay: AHCA says
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 01, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should consider a higher market basket update for nursing homes due to improper calculations that could be costing providers, the American Health Care Association...
Court green-lights charges that a healthcare network underused observation stays
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 23, 2014
A whistleblower can continue to pursue charges that a Nevada healthcare network routinely admitted people as hospital inpatients when they should have been placed in observation status, a federal appeals...
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.