ACA put the brakes on spending across the care continuum, White House economists say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 21, 2013
Spending on healthcare, including skilled nursing care, has grown at a historically slow rate in the last three years, according to a new analysis from the Council of Economic Advisers. The group, which...
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...
Hospital admission rates show need for new nursing home quality measure , OIG and CMS say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 20, 2013
One in four nursing home residents on Medicare was hospitalized in 2011, costing the program $14.3 billion, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector...
‘Self-reliance’ a key to long-term care financing reform, experts say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 19, 2013
The United States is likely to favor an approach to long-term care financing reform that values self-reliance but includes some form of social safety net, according to a new report from a panel of experts.
‘Virtual hands’ take stroke rehabilitation into a new realm, researchers believe
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 19, 2013
3-D glasses soon might be seen in long-term care facilities as well as movie theaters, thanks to a potential breakthrough in stroke rehabilitation. Stroke survivors in a study successfully used a virtual...
The ACA’s ‘comprehensive’ long-term care failure
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 19, 2013
There’s been a lot of talk lately about what constitutes “comprehensive” health insurance coverage — and long-term care notably has not been part of this national conversation.
High staff turnover would lead to re-vote on union membership under proposed labor reform law
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 18, 2013
Nursing home workers would have to recertify their union representation after any major changes in staffing, if a newly proposed bill becomes law.
Medicare reform proposal needs fixes for long-term care physicians, AMDA says
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 15, 2013
Prospective Medicare changes regarding physician payments might unfairly penalize doctors working in long-term care settings, according to a prominent medical directors association.
Better Medicaid managed care oversight needed to protect providers serving high-risk populations: OIG
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 14, 2013
States are not doing a good job of monitoring how Medicaid managed care enterprises handle providers serving high-risk populations, according to a new government report. Five of six states evaluated in...
Singing show tunes combats dementia: study
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 13, 2013
Long-term care operators might want to add show-tune sing-alongs to their dementia care plans, new research suggests.