New department within HHS to oversee allocation of stimulus package healthcare funding
Mar 13, 2009
The Department of Health and Human Services has created an agency to oversee the distribution of the roughly $137 billion it received as a result of the economic stimulus package.
U.S. News’ rating system for nursing homes builds on government’s ‘five-star’...
Mar 13, 2009
Alaska has the largest percentage of five-star rated facilities in the United States, while Louisiana has the lowest. That is according to U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Nursing...
Card-check, Silver Alert bills introduced in Congress
Mar 11, 2009
Senators and representatives on Tuesday introduced the controversial Employee Free Choice Act, also known as union card-check legislation. Several long-term care groups immediately issued statements against...
Arbitration act ‘bad public policy,’ NCAL’s Kyllo says
Mar 06, 2009
The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living have voiced opposition to the recently reintroduced Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act. Members of both the House...
Study finds home healthcare settings have many unsafe conditions
Mar 06, 2009
A recent study has identified a number of hazardous conditions found in home healthcare settings–conditions that are of special concern to both the elderly and their caretakers.
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...
Nursing home arbitration act resurfaces in Senate
Mar 05, 2009
Senators Wednesday re-introduced the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act, a bill that would prevent nursing homes from requiring residents to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of admission....
Long-term care reform hearing focuses on dual eligibles, home-based services
Mar 05, 2009
Public and private sector officials convened Wednesday to discuss the important role long-term care reform could play in a grander, overall healthcare reform scheme.
CMS to delay MDS 3.0 because of worries over system updates
Mar 05, 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is planning to delay the implementation of Minimum Data Set 3.0 for one year because of concerns that there is not enough time to adequately prepare systems...
Guidelines for pressure ulcer prevention to be introduced at conference
Feb 27, 2009
New international guidelines for performing prevalence and incidence studies on pressure ulcers will make their debut today and Saturday at the Biennial Conference of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory...