Cash-strapped feds to cut back Medicare oversight this year, OIG official says
By
Tim Mullaney
May 05, 2014
One of nursing homes’ most vigilant government watchdogs plans to dramatically curb its activities this year, a federal official has told the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health. The Department...
States can designate more nursing homes in urgent need of quality improvement, government says
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 22, 2014
The federal government is reactivating the special focus facility program for nursing homes with quality issues, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced. The program was minimized due...
Shortchanging the Older Americans Act has led to unnecessary nursing home placements, senators say
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 17, 2014
Chronic underfunding of the Older Americans Act is leading to unnecessary long-term care facility admissions, Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) and 26 of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate said in a recent...
Proposed Life Safety Code updates encourage more homelike environments
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 15, 2014
Updated fire safety regulations could encourage more home-like healthcare environments while increasing security to safeguard against wandering, according to a proposed rule announced Monday.
House members request $200 million to increase long-term care, geriatric medicine workforce
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 11, 2014
To meet an increasingly urgent need, Congress should earmark $200 million to expand the number of geriatric care workers. This was the case that 26 House members made in a recent letter Appropriations...
Senators press for SNF survey changes in light of adverse events report
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 07, 2014
The skilled nursing facility survey process is failing to ensure resident safety and needs to be improved, two prominent senators said in a recent letter to the head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Same-sex married couples now have expanded Medicare enrollment options, HHS announces
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 04, 2014
Seniors now are eligible to receive premium-free Medicare Part A coverage if they are married to someone of the same sex, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.
Audits paused, providers glad
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 01, 2014
Long-term care providers are applauding a pause in the Medicare recovery audit contractor program.
Assigning nurses’ desired shifts improves their work ability and health, large study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 28, 2014
Nurses’ job performance and health are better when they can work the shifts that they want, suggests recently published findings from a large European study.
In dementia’s crosshairs, women speak out
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 25, 2014
Alzheimer’s disease does not discriminate. Or so we’ve been repeatedly told — for example, when “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher died, almost exactly one year ago. But a report out...