Government whistleblower lawsuit: PharMerica improperly dispensed, billed for narcotics
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 13, 2013
Long-term care pharmacy company PharMerica dispensed controlled narcotics without valid prescriptions and billed Medicare for the drugs, the federal government has charged in a False Claims Act lawsuit.
Day in the Life: After 97 years, she’s a U.S. citizen
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 01, 2014
It’s reasonable to expect that the pace of life slows down after moving into a skilled nursing facility. But 97-year-old Chengyi Pan has been busy since her arrival at Sauer Health Care in September.
CMS: Nurse shortage means hospices can keep using contracted workers
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 08, 2014
Hospices can continue to rely on contract nurses because an ongoing nurse shortage is preventing providers from meeting their staffing needs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in a...
Special lights improve behavior, sleep and eating for nursing home residents with dementia, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 05, 2014
Installing a particular kind of light in nursing homes could soothe residents with dementia and improve their sleep and eating patterns, according to recently published research findings.
House bill would give some long-term care providers a break from the employer mandate
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 21, 2014
Certain long-term care providers would get a temporary break on Affordable Care Act requirements regarding employee insurance plans under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives.
Early dementia screening is accurate but pointless, researchers find
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 23, 2013
Assessment tools can effectively identify people in the early stages of dementia, but existing evidence suggests there is no pressing reason to do this type of cognitive screening, according to newly published...
Nursing homes suffering from reimbursement shifts to home care, market analysis finds
By
Tim Mullaney
May 14, 2014
Reimbursement is shifting to home health, hurting the finances of skilled nursing facilities, a newly released market analysis states.
Legislation would scrutinize long-term care owners
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 20, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would have to more scrupulously verify that providers are not owned by people with a history of fraud, if a recently introduced House bill becomes law.
CMS: Many skilled nursing providers have poor Medicare certification and recertification practices
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 22, 2014
The rate of improper Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities has increased largely due to issues with certification and recertification statements, according to a recently released government memorandum....
Government report: 1 in 5 Medicare patients suffers an adverse event while receiving post-acute SNF care
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 04, 2014
About 22% of Medicare beneficiaries experienced an adverse event during a post-hospitalization skilled nursing facility stay in fiscal year 2011, and the majority of these events were preventable, according...