Officials: More additions and rebasings of nursing home ratings to come
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 23, 2015
Nearly one-third of the nation’s skilled nursing facilities lost a rating star due purely to administrative changes Friday, when regulators also emphasized that more quality measures will be added...
RAC groups battle provider plea for short-stay payment relief
By
John Hall
Feb 19, 2015
Third-party firms that audit Medicare bills for payment issues are pushing back hard against a hospital association plea for more favorable short-stay reimbursements, adding to the ongoing unwelcome specter...
Swelling Medicaid rolls have states, providers worried
By
John Hall
Feb 18, 2015
California’s Medicaid-eligible rolls are swelling as part of a nationwide expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act, a finding that should give other states’ Medicaid agencies...
Federal judge orders the return of $90 million in Medicaid credits
By
John Hall
Feb 18, 2015
The state of Georgia may be the mouse that roared after convincing a federal court last week to force the government to return a bungled $90 million credit, even after ruling Health & Human Services had...
NASL winter conference to focus on regulatory, legislative issues
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 05, 2015
The Winter Legislative and Regulatory Conference of the National Association for the Support of Long-Term Care takes place Monday through Wednesday in Washington. In addition to Congressional visits, the...
Also in the news for Wednesday, February 4
Feb 04, 2015
Beloved nursing home therapy dog shot in Kansas … Food and Drug Administration is requesting a budget of $4.9 billion … System for monitoring side effects of prescription drugs is severely...
SigmaCare launches ePrescribing tool
Feb 03, 2015
SigmaCare has launched an ePrescribing solution, enabling providers to meet compliance standards with the New York State ePrescribing Mandate.
Ruling might give operators a new bankruptcy incentive
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 01, 2015
A Florida nursing facility targeted for termination of its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements was allowed to stay open due to a “milestone” bankruptcy court ruling.
Politicians pressure auditors to back down, paper claims
By
John Andrews
Feb 01, 2015
The prospects of politician intervention with Medicare audits has sparked some debate over whether elected officials are exerting undue influence, or simply defending providers’ rights against government...
A palliative care focus
By
Diane E. Meier, M.D., FACP
Feb 01, 2015
Palliative care, specialized medical care focused on treating the symptoms and stress of serious illness, should be the standard of practice for all elderly people in skilled care settings.