In an editorial published on Politico.com, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defended the Affordable Care Act’s controversial Independent Payment Advisory Board, which critics...
HHS extends coverage for COVID-19 screening at nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 01, 2020
Nursing homes in states that prohibit the use of point-of-care COVID-19 tests to screen for the disease can now do so after the Department of Health and Human Services extended coverage to include congregate...
Providers warned: Ongoing relief fund audits may bring unprecedented info demands
By
Joe Bush
Nov 21, 2022
Provider Relief Fund audits have started in earnest, with the threat of federal investigators demanding more and different data than most skilled nursing providers have ever been asked to account for.
States push CMS to repeal COVID-19 vaccine mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 18, 2022
A coalition of 22 states is taking a new angle in its attempts to overturn a national mandate requiring that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19: They’re simply asking federal regulators...
Feds mull shortened COVID-19 quarantine period
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
There is “a preponderance of evidence” that a shorter quarantine period, complemented by a COVID-19 test, could effectively prevent transmission of the disease, according to Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant...
HHS Secretary: Expect tweaks to nursing home rating system
Mar 18, 2010
The nation’s first nursing home rating system is an important tool for consumers, but changes can be expected, said the country’s highest health official on Tuesday. Health and Human Services...
Feds ramp up COVID-19 testing efforts at nursing homes with release of 750k more POC supplies
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 09, 2020
Nursing homes in areas with the high COVID-19 positivity rates will be receiving another point-of-care testing option from the federal government starting next week.
Are nursing homes headed for an 80% direct-spend rule?
By
Kimberly Marselas
Dec 11, 2023
A national union on Friday skewed comments made by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to imply federal regulators had proposed an 80% direct care spending requirement for the nursing home...
Medical marijuana lawsuit highlights provider trap as laws clash
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Oct 11, 2023
A new case challenging an applicant’s dismissal due to medical marijuana use is raising concerns about what kind of legal protection job seekers and facilities have — especially amid a national nursing...
Providers get another valuable tool to help cope after Change Healthcare cyberattack
By
Josh Henreckson
Mar 28, 2024
The federal government has taken another step to support long-term care providers struggling with delayed payments following the recent cyberattack on vital billing clearinghouse Change Healthcare.