HHS extends coverage for COVID-19 screening at nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 01, 2020
Nursing homes in states that prohibit the use of point-of-care COVID-19 tests to screen for the disease can now do so after the Department of Health and Human Services extended coverage to include congregate...
Providers warned: Ongoing relief fund audits may bring unprecedented info demands
By
Joe Bush
Nov 21, 2022
Provider Relief Fund audits have started in earnest, with the threat of federal investigators demanding more and different data than most skilled nursing providers have ever been asked to account for.
Governor signs bill that gives nursing homes $700 million funding boost
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 02, 2022
A $700 million Medicaid funding boost is coming to Illinois providers after Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) on Tuesday signed nursing home reform legislation that ties the Medicaid increases to higher staffing...
Feds should require full-time infection control specialists at nursing homes, association says
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Jun 20, 2023
The federal government should require a full-time infection preventionist in every nursing home, say leaders of a large ICP association.
States push CMS to repeal COVID-19 vaccine mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 18, 2022
A coalition of 22 states is taking a new angle in its attempts to overturn a national mandate requiring that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19: They’re simply asking federal regulators...
Better anti-fraud efforts are not appeasing lawmakers
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 01, 2014
Long-term care facilities and other Medicare providers increasingly have seen reimbursements influenced by the government’s Fraud Prevention System, an official recently told a Congressional panel.
Feds called on to adopt less restrictive provider fire and life safety codes
By
Danielle Brown
Jul 15, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is being urged to adopt an updated life safety code regulation after providers warned the edition slated to go into effect could cause “unnecessary nursing...
Providers stress testing, need for additional resources following federal reopening guidance
By
Danielle Brown
May 19, 2020
Providers stressed the importance of testing and the need for additional support after the federal government laid out steps Monday for safely reopening nursing homes to visitors.
Feds ramp up COVID-19 testing efforts at nursing homes with release of 750k more POC supplies
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 09, 2020
Nursing homes in areas with the high COVID-19 positivity rates will be receiving another point-of-care testing option from the federal government starting next week.
Regulators delaying new MDS 3.0 nursing home payment system to ‘minimize confusion’
Mar 06, 2009
Federal healthcare regulators on Thursday announced a sweeping round of delays for an updated tool to enhance the nursing home payment system. The rollout of MDS 3.0 is now targeted for October 2010 and...