House to vote on skilled nursing facility readmissions penalties, ICD-10 extension
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities could see reimbursements tied to their number of hospital readmissions starting in 2018, under Medicare legislation announced by House and Senate leaders Wednesday. The bill...
ONLINE EXPO DAY 2: Learn how to prepare for a facility re-survey, where to find capital
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Long-term care professionals are in for a second day of great insights at the McKnight’s Online Expo. Attention will turn to finding capital and preparing for surveys, after the event kicked off...
RACs recovered $8,000 from skilled nursing facilities, $2.3 billion overall in 2012, report shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors collected about $8,000 in fiscal year 2012 through a skilled nursing facility claims review pilot, according to a recently released annual report to Congress.
Current antipsychotics quality measure is too hard on long-term care providers, researchers argue
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 26, 2014
An updated quality measure would paint a fairer picture of nursing homes’ antipsychotic prescribing practices, say researchers at Miami University in Ohio and Rutgers, the State University of New...
In dementia’s crosshairs, women speak out
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 25, 2014
Alzheimer’s disease does not discriminate. Or so we’ve been repeatedly told — for example, when “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher died, almost exactly one year ago. But a report out...
Acute, post-acute partnerships reduce C. diff about 50% in Washington state
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 25, 2014
Hospitals and post-acute facilities in Washington state have cut their rate of Clostridium difficile infections in half since 2012 by partnering with each other in a robust infection control program, according...
Public reporting of physical restraint use led to 36% increase in antipsychotic prescribing for dementia,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 21, 2014
Public reporting of physical restraint use in nursing homes caused a spike in the use of antipsychotic medications to control residents’ dementia symptoms, according to a recently published analysis....
McDermott urges RAC penalties for successfully appealed decisions
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 21, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors should face financial penalties when providers successfully challenge their decisions, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) stated in a recent letter to the head of the Health...
Standardized tool for assessing post-acute care is floated in House and Senate
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 20, 2014
Lawmakers in both houses of Congress have unveiled a draft bill calling for post-acute care providers to furnish standard assessment data, with the goals of enabling better quality oversight and driving...
Dual eligibles in nursing homes have fewer hospitalizations than those in home- and community-based care,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 19, 2014
Elderly, frail people are more likely to be hospitalized if they are receiving home- or community-based services than if they live in a nursing home, according to newly published research. Recent Medicaid...