Why nursing homes can exhale — but not get complacent
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 07, 2017
The announced delay of full enforcement of new survey requirements is indeed good news for nursing home operators and all of their compliance officers. Their blood pressure should now lower a few millimeters....
Medical directors raise concerns about quality reporting, health IT in long-term care settings
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 13, 2013
Since the adoption of health information technology has varied between acute and long-term care settings, that fact should be reflected in quality reporting requirements for physicians, a prominent association...
Officials: More additions and rebasings of nursing home ratings to come
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 23, 2015
Nearly one-third of the nation’s skilled nursing facilities lost a rating star due purely to administrative changes Friday, when regulators also emphasized that more quality measures will be added...
What is your vision for PACE expansion and innovation?
By
Jade Gong
Jan 30, 2017
In the final days of the Obama administration, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services provided a parting gift to the PACE community by issuing a Request for Information seeking stakeholder input on...
CMS clarifies rules regarding vaccines, respite care for hospice patients
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 11, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has loosened regulatory language regarding which providers can furnish vaccines to hospice patients, and has tightened enforcement of a five-day payment limit...
Laws and policies in focus next week for LTC therapy and ancillary services providers
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 08, 2013
A keynote address by Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will highlight opening day of the annual winter Legislative and Regulatory Conference of the...
Preparation and F-tag knowledge will keep providers clear of huge, new infection control penalties, experts...
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 04, 2020
Developing a thorough understanding of key F-tags and emergency preparedness requirements are key strategies nursing homes should adopt to ensure they avoid steep fines following infection-control focused...
BULLETIN: CMS ‘ratcheting up’ nursing home penalties in light of 26,000-resident, 450-worker...
By
James M. Berklan
Jun 01, 2020
Nearly 26,000 residents and 450 workers in U.S. nursing homes have died from COVID-19, federal authorities announced Monday afternoon.
CMS stalls on home health, hospice certification requirements
Jan 06, 2011
There will be a three-month delay before the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services enforces a face-to-face meeting requirement for individuals who want hospice services or home health care, the Bureau...
Answers to lingering questions about PBJ
By
Karolee Alexander, RN, RAC-CT
Jul 08, 2016
Even though the Payroll-Based Journal kick-off was last Friday, it’s understandable that questions still cloud this new process. It behooves providers to get up to speed and become better informed...