Overhaul of Nursing Home Compare website is complete
Aug 02, 2011
The redesign of the federal Nursing Home Compare website, which lets consumers file complaints more easily and compare facilities based on quality measures, is complete.
Provider shares take a hit on news of CMS reimbursement cuts
Aug 02, 2011
Shares of major skilled nursing facility operator stocks took a nosedive Monday morning following Friday’s announcement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are cutting Medicare reimbursements...
Provider group: Cut Medicare pay rate by 3.0%, save 100,000 jobs
Jun 29, 2011
The leader of the nation’s largest nursing home association has suggested the federal government cut Medicare reimbursement rates by 3.0% in fiscal 2012, not a threatened 11.3%. Such a move, along...
CMS actuary voices concern over healthcare reform measures
Jun 15, 2011
In a Society of Actuaries speech on Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ chief actuary accused legislators and policymakers of ignoring his warnings about the sustainability of the...
Medicare fund will be depleted by 2024, report finds
May 16, 2011
The annual Medicare Trustees report found that under current conditions, the Medicare hospital insurance trust fund will be exhausted by 2024, largely due to the bad economy. The same report, which was...
Obama Medicaid rule would discourage provider reimbursement cuts
May 04, 2011
The Obama administration has proposed a rule that would make it harder for states to reduce Medicaid payments to nursing homes, doctors and hospitals. The rule would help federal and state officials implement...
Nursing homes to be judged by 21 new quality measures on federal website
Mar 04, 2011
The National Quality Forum on Wednesday came out in support of 21 measures to be used to care for both long-term nursing home residents and short-stay patients. These measures will be included in the Centers...
Regulators expected to rescind physician signature requirement for lab requisition forms
Feb 15, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated that it might rescind a rule that requires physician signatures on requisitions for all clinical laboratory tests paid for by Medicare, as part...
Obama renominates Berwick to head CMS, contentious hearings promised
Jan 28, 2011
President Obama announced Wednesday that he has renominated Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, six months after naming him chief during a Congressional recess. The first...
Healthcare reform can improve care and reduce costs for ‘dual-eligibles’
Dec 20, 2010
Implementation of the healthcare reform bill, or the Affordable Care Act, could improve the quality of care and reduce costs for “dual-eligibles,” according to findings of a new report from...