Regulations for nursing home ethics programs and QAPI still in the works, administrators say
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 22, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is still working on the regulations for ethics and compliance programs that nursing homes were supposed to have implemented this month, CMS administrators admitted...
No timeline for official QAPI regulation, but surveyors are learning program basics, CMS official says
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 14, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services still cannot say when an official regulation will be established for the Quality Assessment and Performance Initiative, but that’s not stopping the agency...
CMS work group recommends approach for employing former criminals in long-term care settings
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 19, 2013
Long-term care providers and states should agree on what a “direct access employee” is and whether that person has a criminal conviction that should keep him or her from working in a nursing...
Failure to prepare for MDS updates in the next 10 days could be costly, expert warns
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 21, 2012
If skilled nursing facilities are not prepared for the MDS 3.0 changes that will go into effect April 1, 2012, the consequences could be expensive, a top expert warned Wednesday.
Low-quality Medicare Advantage plans should expect scrutiny, CMS says
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 13, 2012
Medicare Advantage plans with fewer than five stars on the quality scale should expect some form of audit, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid official said this week.
Need for cognitive assessments missing from home- and community-based Medicaid regulations, group says
By
McKnight's Staff
Jul 17, 2012
Regulations issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerning Medicaid coverage for home- and community-based services has been too vague for Alzheimer’s advocates.
Quality measures needed to evaluate end-of-life care in nursing homes, study urges
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 17, 2012
As the number of people who choose nursing homes for end-of-life care continues to rise, more quality measures are needed to help consumers judge quality, a new study recommends.
CMS clarifies physician delegation of tasks in skilled nursing facilities
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 04, 2013
Nursing home operators can now download a brief clarifying which tasks physicians may delegate to other practitioners caring for Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the Centers for Medicare...
CMS announces expansion of psychiatric services for seniors
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 13, 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is launching two new initiatives that may improve mental health services for seniors and nursing home residents.
Medicare enhances readability and fraud protections with streamlined benefit statements
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 08, 2012
Medicare recipients soon will be reaping the benefits of simplified benefit statements and will see added protections against Medicare fraud, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Wednesday.