With Medicaid ‘broken,’ the fight will go to fraud, waste
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 06, 2017
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., called the Medicaid program “broken” and said it needed a stronger focus on fighting fraud and waste during a House subcommittee...
SNFs can ask for a 3-month reprieve in quality reporting
By
John O'Connor
Sep 04, 2015
Skilled nursing facilities unable to provide data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ new quality reporting program will have a 90-day window to request an exception or extension, officials...
Quality measurements are a ‘game changer,’ expert notes
By
Elizabeth Newman
Sep 05, 2016
Skilled nursing facilities failing to submit data for new quality measures will suffer a 2-percentage point reduction starting with 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services warned in the recent...
New wave of pro-labor rulings seen as gift for large unions
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2011
Opponents of organized labor — which include many long-term care providers — feel swamped by recent pro-union rulings from the National Labor Relations Board.
Study finds survey system ‘broken and can’t be fixed’
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 01, 2008
A leading nursing-home association is calling for an independent panel to come up with new methods for overseeing nursing facilities. The association’s task force issued 31 recommendations, highlighting...
With budget out of the way, Congress eyes Medicare fix
By
John O'Connor
Jan 01, 2015
Now that President Obama has put his signature on a $1.1 trillion spending package, long-term care providers can focus on another looming spending challenge: the so-called “doc fix.”
Refine quality to gain better image: leaders
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jun 06, 2012
Long-term care providers face negative perceptions and should focus on quality measurements to combat unfair portrayals, association executives said in May.
Hospitalizations lead to more SNF stays
By
Mary Gustafson
Nov 01, 2011
Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized for acute-care treatment, including a stroke or hip fracture, are at an “extremely high risk” for needing long-term care in a nursing home, a new...
Facing the music: Providers learning new moves so they can stay in step with new dance partners
By
Elizabeth Newman
Oct 05, 2015
There’s no doubt today’s long-term care provider must be able to dance with managed care and accountable care organizations. But while many are proving they can tango with transitions or rumba...
Time is limited for ACO deals
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 01, 2013
By negotiating now, a nursing home can have a strong voice in an Accountable Care Organization. Otherwise, ACOs will come to nursing homes in two or three years with a “take it or leave it”...