Congressional lawmakers grill top ALJ on appeals backlog, say too many providers are being put out of...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 11, 2014
Efforts to root out Medicare fraud have put far too many above-board providers in auditors’ crosshairs, leading to a staggering backlog of appeals that has no easy fix, Congressional lawmakers and...
Skilled nursing facility readmissions should be an ACO quality measure, government proposes in payment...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 08, 2014
Accountable care organizations should be assessed on the number of people who return to a member hospital within 30 days of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
AMA to submit information to federal regulators regarding end-of-life care planning
By
John Hall
Jun 03, 2014
The American Medical Association is expected to release recommendations soon for what physicians should be reimbursed for end-of-life medical consultations. The physicians group issues advisements regularly...
The potential break-up between hospitals and long-term care
By
Elizabeth Newman
Apr 17, 2014
The attempts of the hospital lobby and long-term care to move beyond casually dating to going steady hit a snag at the steps of a courthouse Monday.
CMS announces declining readmission rate for Medicare patients, credits Affordable Care Act
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 09, 2013
Improved transitions between acute and post-acute settings are partly responsible for continuing nationwide declines in hospital readmission rates, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS too burdened and focused on cost to be the epicenter of long-term care reform, experts say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 21, 2013
Most long-term care reforms rely on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for implementation, but the overburdened agency cannot manage all the needed changes in this area, according to a panel...
CMS releases reference chart for new therapy-related G-codes
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 16, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a reference chart listing the new G-codes needed for outpatient therapy services claims under the Medicare fee-for-service program.
Post-acute care largely explains geographic differences in Medicare spending, report affirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 29, 2013
Geographic variances in post-acute care largely account for differences in Medicare spending patterns, supporting healthcare reform measures that encourage better acute and post-acute coordination, according...
AHCA, Alliance, support Obama’s renomination of Tavenner as head of CMS
By
Elizabeth Newman
Feb 08, 2013
Marilyn Tavenner, the acting administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has been renominated by President Barack Obama to permanently fill the position.
Upon further review
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 02, 2013
Instead of spending more time doing hands-on patient care, therapists who work with Medicare beneficiaries have been strapped with increased administrative tasks, sometimes leading to delayed services,...