Limiting nursing home shift to 8 hours was reasonable request, EEOC charges in discrimination suit
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 17, 2014
A New Mexico nursing home broke federal law by not allowing an employee with health problems to limit his shifts to eight hours, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has charged.
CMS budget defines nursing home quality targets, requests an additional $50 million for surveys
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 12, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 requests additional funds for survey activities and lists the agency’s targets for nursing home quality measures.
House bill proposes safe harbor from medical malpractice litigation, could remove LTC liability actions...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 03, 2014
A bill in the House of Representatives would create a safe harbor system to reduce malpractice lawsuits against Medicare and Medicaid providers, and it would give providers the right to request state-level...
Catholic long-term care provider claims free speech violations in its full appeal against Affordable...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 26, 2014
A Catholic long-term care provider is claiming freedom of speech and religious freedom violations in a much-anticipated legal appeal over the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.
Court expresses concern over Omnicare drug packaging practices but dismisses False Claims suit
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 26, 2014
A whistleblower exposed disturbing drug packaging practices being used by long-term care pharmacy Omnicare Inc., but the charges don’t fall under the False Claims Act, a federal appeals court recently...
Long-term care groups applaud a pause in Medicare audits, urge permanent changes
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 21, 2014
Long-term care stakeholders are praising the government’s decision to temporarily pause the recovery audit contractor program, which is associated with a huge backlog of Medicare claims appeals.
Medicaid-only long-term care residents driving up state expenditures, report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
Among people eligible for Medicaid but not Medicare, long-term care residents are most likely to be among the costliest beneficiaries for a state, according to a new report from the Government Accountability...
Congress passes a bill to extend Medicare cuts an additional year
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 14, 2014
The Senate has passed a bill to extend 2% cuts to Medicare reimbursements for an additional year, and the measure now is headed to the White House for President Obama’s signature.
Long-term care providers, physicians at loggerheads over pace of doctor payment reform
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 11, 2014
Long-term care and physician groups may be headed for an impasse when it comes to fixing Medicare’s system for paying doctors.
Feds join suit against hospitalist company
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 01, 2014
The federal government has joined in a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that a large hospitalist company engaged in systematic “upcoding” of Medicare and Medicaid claims.