Hospital-based efforts to prevent readmissions for heart conditions found to be lacking, research finds
Jul 26, 2012
Comprehensive plans to prevent hospital readmissions for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in U.S. hospitals are spotty at best, new research suggests.
Scrutiny of skilled nursing facilities intensifies with Nursing Home Compare overhaul
By
McKnight's Staff
Jul 19, 2012
The government’s Nursing Home Compare website now includes more information about surveyor inspection findings and antipsychotic medication usage, officials announced Tuesday.
FDA endorses safety measures for long-acting opioid painkillers
Jul 11, 2012
Companies that manufacture opioid painkillers must underwrite training and educational programs for the physicians who prescribe them, according to a new federal safety measures announced Monday.
Demand for CNAs and nursing aides to balloon by 2025, report finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 22, 2012
The number healthcare support professionals — a category that includes long-term care aides and assistants — is expected to grow faster than any other group of healthcare workers, a new report estimates.
Lawmakers blast federal efforts to monitor and police Medicare fraud — again
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 11, 2012
Lawmakers again hammered the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Medicare program integrity contractors Friday. The latest salvos were fueled by an agency admission that additional mistakes...
Provider group hammers Congressional leadership on lowering provider tax threshold
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 06, 2012
The American Health Care Association continued its assault Wednesday on a Republican proposal to use Medicaid provider assessments to offset subsidies to the Stafford student loan program.
Commencement speech season heats up
By
Mary Gustafson
May 24, 2012
Since I am sucker for celebrity commencement addresses, mid- to late-May is like my own, personal Christmas.
Vaccination rates are low among at-risk adults in the U.S., research shows
By
McKnight's Staff
May 21, 2012
Despite strong federal and regulatory support for mandatory vaccinations among healthcare workers, the U.S. adult vaccination rate is on the low side, according to a new research brief.
Some Medicaid doctors to receive reimbursement rates that equal Medicare’s
By
McKnight's Staff
May 09, 2012
Physicians providing primary care services to Medicaid beneficiaries will see a federal payment increase to bring Medicaid payments in line with those of Medicare payments, government officials announced...
Antipsychotic drug use correlated to staffing levels
By
McKnight's Staff
May 01, 2012
While antipsychotic drug use overuse has decreased since 2005, nearly a quarter of U.S. nursing homes are still giving many residents the medications against recommendations, a Boston Globe analysis reveals.