Reintroduced observation status bill could take edge off Medicare 3-day rule
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 10, 2023
If the legislation passes, more post-acute patients could qualify for care in skilled nursing facilities, a reprieve for providers following the end of pandemic-era waivers, industry advocates said.
Senior care scores some wins in congressional budget deal
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 21, 2022
A Congressional spending package for fiscal year 2023 supports key healthcare policy requests important to long-term care industry stakeholders, saving some clinicians and services from feared cuts.
Push for permanent telehealth funding kicks into high gear in Congress
By
Josh Henreckson
Mar 15, 2024
With ongoing federal Medicare reimbursements for telehealth set to expire at the end of the year, a bipartisan push is underway in the US House of Representatives to make those payments permanent.
Skilled nursing care’s cloudy Medicare future
By
Brendan Williams
Aug 18, 2023
A net gain of $1.4 billion for a sector comprised of over 15,000 nursing homes somewhat pales in comparison to a looming CMS staffing mandate estimated to cost nursing homes $11.3 billion a year.
Therapy should be more than productivity
By
Jean Wendland Porter
Apr 22, 2024
“I’m too sick for therapy today.” “Come back later.” “Leave me alone.” If you’ve worked in long-term care (or hospitals or LTACHs or acute rehab hospitals), you’ve heard...
Physical therapy group opposes proposed 3.6% reimbursement cut
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 14, 2023
The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI) called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to revisit its Medicare doctor fee proposal for next year, saying the changes could...
How government prevaricates about long-term care
By
Stephen A. Moses
Feb 23, 2024
Most federal officials and the analysts who advise them are progressives. They prefer public over private sector solutions for most social problems. Sometimes progressives bend the truth to tip public...
Medicare Advantage: A not-so-advantageous deal for beneficiaries and providers
By
Brendan Williams
Nov 29, 2023
Open enrollment is well underway for Medicare, as television viewers inundated with cheesy insurance company ads can tell. Those ads must work. For the first time 2024 will see most Medicare...
Revised MDS assessments of patient mood disorders may depress payments
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 10, 2023
Clinicians should remain vigilant for missed diagnoses — and the potential for reduced Medicare payment rates — as MDS changes take effect Oct. 1, industry experts said.