Providers’ best chances in federal budget talks lie with funding for infection prevention, staffing:...
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 13, 2021
OXON HILL, MD — Long-term care interests are clearly down the priority line in federal budget negotiators, one of the industry’s top lobbyists noted Tuesday, but several key topics also have earned...
BREAKING: Nursing homes slated for 1.3% — or $444 million — Medicare pay hike for 2022
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 08, 2021
Nursing homes would receive a 1.3% net Medicare increase for fiscal year 2022 under a proposal announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late Thursday afternoon.
Providers ‘very encouraged’ after meeting with CMS leader on nursing home reform
By
Danielle Brown
James M. Berklan
Mar 30, 2022
After initial dismay upon hearing the administration’s strategies for sweeping new nursing home reform plans last month, providers were more optimistic after meeting with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
New COVID staffing study points to improved paradigm for SNFs against outbreaks
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 15, 2021
More is not always better, especially when talking about the number of employees in a nursing home trying to battle infectious outbreaks such as COVID-19, or even less dangerous annual influenza strains.
BREAKING: Feds increase COVID-19 funding dedicated to nursing homes to nearly $10 billion
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 22, 2020
The administration will be more than doubling funding dedicated directly to nursing homes to fight the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to an additional $5 billion announced by President Trump at a briefing...
Feds’ ‘dramatic expansion’ of telehealth widens payment coverage; HIPAA rules are relaxed for COVID-19
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 18, 2020
The federal government removed Medicare restrictions for telehealth coverage nationwide Tuesday while also temporarily relaxing HIPAA obligations for providers. The latter opens the door for doctors’...
Therapy carnage at start of PDPM not as severe as feared: study
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 02, 2021
The first academic study of its kind has found that the first three months of nursing homes’ overhauled Medicare payment system at the end of 2019 led to a distinct drop-off in the employed number of...
BREAKING: Federal regulators tout $15M in fines, tripling of ‘Immediate Jeopardy’ citations against...
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 14, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday afternoon that it has levied more than $15 million in fines and tripled the most severe type of citations to nursing homes during the six months...
Nursing home leaders unraveling after months of pandemic dangers, workloads, McKnight’s survey shows
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 07, 2021
Findings of the 2021 McKnight’s Mood of the Market survey shed unsettling light on fragile workplaces and severely tested workforces.
REIT leader: ‘Even more bullish than before’ on skilled nursing
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 29, 2020
Census pressure and uncertainties caused by COVID-19 continue to threaten the nursing home industry. But at least one major real estate investment trust CEO sees this period as a time of good opportunity...