How to survive the likely shift to bundled payments
By
Anthony Laflen
Dec 14, 2016
Shifting the focus from the volume of services provided to the patient outcomes achieved is remarkably beneficial to both parties.
HHS: RACs not the primary source of the Medicare appeals backlog
Dec 09, 2016
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a brief to the federal D.C. District Court related to the American Hospital Association’s case against the agency over the backlog...
Addressing rehab ‘outcome killers’
By
Richard Juman, Psy.D
Nov 28, 2016
When a resident leaves a skilled nursing facility after a successful rehabilitation, it’s a clear signal to the community the facility is doing its job.
Three Medicare changes SNFs can expect under the new administration
By
Anne Tumlinson
Nov 23, 2016
Ever since the ACA became law in March 2010, HHS has set a breakneck pace for transforming traditional Medicare fee-for-service payments into a value-based system; with Obama’s HHS Secretary projecting...
It’s that time of year again …
By
Tara Roberts
Nov 18, 2016
Currently, we should understand Medicare Part B through the lens of Section 202 of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).
The elephant in the room
By
Gary Tetz
Nov 10, 2016
Nope, I won’t do it. I just won’t. This is a column about long-term care and the important issues facing our profession. I absolutely refuse to get drawn into a heated discussion about the...
Congress, we must reform Medicare appeals
By
Kristin Walter
Oct 31, 2016
Ten years – that’s how long the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals estimates the Medicare appeals backlog of 750,000 cases will take to clear.
Defending nursing homes cited with F-Tag 314
By
Donna Fudge
Oct 26, 2016
With these recent decisions, we have discovered that there is success in demonstrating to a jury or arbitration panel how a pressure injury can be unavoidable as defined under F-Tag 314.
Be careful about showing appreciation during unstable times
By
Paul White
Oct 21, 2016
Sometimes well-meaning supervisors (and sometimes leaders who don’t want to do the hard work of dealing with problems) try to use appreciation as a “quick fix” for deeper issues that...
Commitment to care coordination: Finishing what we’ve started
By
Bruce Chernof, M.D.
Oct 19, 2016
When California launched Cal MediConnect, its landmark dual eligible demonstration project, its architects knew the challenge they were accepting.