Healthcare reform, Medicare just pawns on campaign trail
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2012
When it comes to healthcare reform and Medicare, long-term care operators tend to focus on the so-called small pieces. These include things such as therapy caps, Minimum Data Set payments and forced reimbursement...
Meager resource allocation can sink tech efforts: CAST
By
John O'Connor
Feb 01, 2012
High expenses and poor internal collaboration often undermine provider efforts to implement new technology initiatives, according to a report from LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies.
New policy triggers rehab mode change
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2012
Individual therapy services are seeing a huge spike across skilled care settings, according to a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report. The shift seems to reveal how a change in payment rules...
Latest funding deal sidesteps fiscal cliff
By
John O'Connor
Feb 01, 2013
Providers generally lauded a deal that kept the nation from going over the so-called fiscal cliff in January. Spared were automatic Medicare cuts to physicians and facilities.
Role of biomaterials is expected to grow
By
John O'Connor
Nov 01, 2011
Biomaterials likely will play a larger role in helping chronic wounds heal among diabetics, according to experts who spoke at the European Conference on Biomaterials in Dublin.
LTC nurses likeliest to want new setting
By
John O'Connor
Jun 01, 2014
Most nurses find their work rewarding and satisfying. But nurses in the long-term care sector appear to be the most likely to want employment in a different setting, according to a survey from CareerBuilder...
Lawmakers turn focus to arbitration mandate
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2008
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved anti-industry legislation that would put an end to pre-admission requirements mandating dispute resolution agreements.
Feds ease auditing reviews, anti-fraud efforts to surge
By
John O'Connor
Dec 01, 2013
Providers likely will embrace House legislation that eases billing reviews for operators deemed a low fraud risk.
AHCA’s Parkinson ‘cautiously optimistic,’ despite sequester and other looming fiscal...
By
John O'Connor
Mar 07, 2013
A newly enacted sequester may be trimming Medicare payments to skilled nursing operators, but the sector remains strong and poised for future growth. That assessment was delivered Wednesday by the head...
Nonprofits continue to hike digital efforts, survey finds
By
John O'Connor
Jan 01, 2014
The nation’s largest not-for-profit long-term care providers have implemented electronic health records, but there is still much room for growth when it comes to the sharing of digital data, according...