CMS prods hospitals to improve discharge info for SNFs, home health
By
James M. Berklan
Jun 07, 2023
Hospitals’ shortcomings in providing post-acute care providers with adequate discharge information prompted federal regulators to issue a special memo Tuesday.
Docs got $22.5M in overpayments by miscoding services during SNF stays: OIG
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 01, 2023
Physicians billed Medicare for at least $22 million in services that should have been included under a skilled nursing stay, a new report from the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General...
The MDS reminds me of something in Narnia?
By
Joel VanEaton
May 16, 2023
I am a fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have not read “The Chronicles of Narnia,” you should. You may have seen the more recent three films based on these books. As good as they were, as is usually the case,...
Providers tepidly embrace CMS plan to revoke ‘no longer needed’ vax mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 03, 2023
Skilled nursing providers on Tuesday cheered the federal government’s decision to revoke its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
CMS eyeing PDPM case-mix additions, changes
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 24, 2023
Federal regulators are weighing changes to the three-year-old Patient Driven Payment Model to account for missed opportunities — and potentially inappropriate coding choices — a top Medicare official...
CMS ‘demonizing’ private equity with rule that could scare away skilled nursing investors
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Apr 17, 2023
A proposed rule to make nursing home ownership more transparent could instead scare off private equity investments, leaving facilities without much-needed capital, experts warn as federal regulators enter...
Feds broaden nursing home quality campaign with new discharge, satisfaction and vaccination measures
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 10, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made one thing clear when it issued its newly proposed nursing home pay rule last week: Promoting nursing home quality improvement is driving policy formation.
Providers brace for staffing rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 12, 2023
Providers were bracing for the first federal minimum staffing proposal, the details of which could have broad implications for all nursing homes.
CMS says final hours requirement still undecided on looming staffing rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 23, 2023
Federal officials are still trying to determine just how many minutes or hours a day it takes for direct care staff to perform tasks key to nursing home quality, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
‘Creativity just isn’t enough’ to cover costs of care without more pay, alarmed nursing home leaders...
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 21, 2023
Creative ideas to entice more workers to Iowa’s nursing homes will not solve the labor shortfall and wage issues unless lawmakers increase funding to match the cost of care, providers and advocates said.