AHCA pressures CMS, lawmakers to wait on ‘five-star’ rating system
Nov 25, 2008
The pending “five-star” nursing home rating system should be delayed because it would not accurately reflect the quality of the nation’s nursing homes, the American Health Care Association...
Nursing homes lukewarm to government’s new five-star rating system
Jun 19, 2008
Nursing home operators wasted little time Wednesday issuing rebuttals to the federal government’s announcement that it would create and publish individual facility rankings on its Web site by the...
CMS proposes physician Medicare payment rate cut in 2010
Jul 02, 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday proposed reducing Medicare payment rates for physicians by 21.5% in calendar year 2010. It also disclosed other physician payment reforms as part...
Experts: Medicare should help pay for long-term care coverage
Jul 22, 2008
Adding a long-term care benefit to the Medicare program would be a favorable way to help address the impending challenges related to the aging baby-boom generation, healthcare experts say in a new Commonwealth...
Obese beneficiaries weigh down Medicare, study finds
Jul 28, 2008
Overweight seniors cost more under Medicare than their thinner counterparts, a new study finds.
Voters oppose Medicare cuts to nursing homes, study finds
Mar 03, 2008
A newly released poll from Zogby International shows that 63% of respondents oppose President Bush’s proposed nursing home Medicare cuts.
Medicare demonstration project to cover hospice, curative care
Sep 08, 2010
The Medicare program is gearing up to begin a 15-site demonstration project that will provide both hospice care and life-sustaining treatments to Medicare beneficiaries, according to recent reports.
Care perceptions not linked to Medicare spending, report finds
May 29, 2008
Providers do not necessarily need to spend high amounts on Medicare beneficiaries to maintain positive quality-of-care perceptions, the findings of a recent report suggest.
Medicare less effective for younger disabled than for older population
Aug 16, 2010
Besides the millions of older recipients on Medicare, more than 8 million younger, disabled individuals receive benefits. But a new report finds that the system doesn’t work as well for the younger...
CMS plans to reorganize, establishing new positions, offices
Mar 19, 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing some major structural changes, according to an internal agency e-mail recently obtained by the National Association for the Support of Long Term...