Major COVID outbreak, takeover demonstrate nursing home threat amid vaccination slide
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 28, 2023
Admissions have been halted at a skilled nursing facility that was part of one of the nation’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks as state officials raise major concerns about a new round of infection and deaths...
State lawmakers embrace small-house nursing homes, tackle prior authorization in ‘transformative’...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 21, 2023
A House bill, which passed 158-0 last week, prods the development of more “small house” nursing homes, promises better infection control responses and launches a pre-authorization pilot designed to...
Rein in ‘alarming’ Medicare Advantage, expand Medicare services, LTC advocates tell Congress
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Oct 23, 2023
Congress should do more to control Medicare Advantage spending and put traditional Medicare on more equal footing, a major nursing home advocacy group told a federal healthcare task force last week.
COVID negligence case sent back to state court, over providers’ repeated objections
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 21, 2024
A group of owners and operators who have tried at least three times to argue that the COVID-related civil cases in which they are embroiled belong in federal court has been defeated again.
Shuttered nursing home avoids class action in understaffing lawsuit
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 25, 2023
While sympathetic to nursing home residents’ claims that they received “deficient” care, a federal judge has ruled their case cannot be certified as a class action because claims and damages related...
Blood test accurate, consistent at spotting Alzheimer’s, dementia-linked proteins
By
Kristen Fischer
Jan 24, 2024
A new blood test that can spot amyloid and tau in the brain should be on the market soon. The test worked well to accurately and consistently identify accumulations of the proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s...
Providers concerned with ‘red herring’ of new nursing home transparency rules
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 09, 2024
The New Jersey Department of Health has used an expedited process to implement new financial transparency rules for nursing homes — notably, requiring that owner-certified financial disclosures be audited...
Physician 1.7 percent pay fix fails to account for full cuts to therapists, other SNF providers
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 06, 2024
Congressional leaders have agreed to increase physician pay by 1.68% starting next week, but that raise still would not make whole a 3.37% cut initiated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
Historic strike over wages, staffing may hit at least 10 unrelated nursing homes
By
Josh Henreckson
Feb 22, 2024
Care workers at 10 Minnesota nursing homes and counting are planning a one-day strike for March 5. About 600 workers across seven facilities first announced plans to strike Tuesday, but that number has...
Proposal would help more providers reduce civil monetary penalties
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 07, 2023
Providers who don’t plan to appeal a civil monetary penalty but fail to file a hearing waiver would still be in line for a fee reduction under a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal issued...