Families press for nationwide ‘essential caregiver’ rights
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 18, 2024
More than four years after nearly all visitors were barred from US nursing homes amid a spreading pandemic, consumer advocates are pushing to enshrine permanent access for essential caregivers into federal...
Advocates work behind scenes to stop, reshape staffing rule as finalization nears
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 16, 2024
Several nursing home advocacy organizations have met with the White House Office of Management and Budget in recent days, angling to change the proposed minimum staffing rule that could be issued in final...
Congress advisers back permanent telehealth expansions, look to nix in-person rule for behavioral telehealth...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 12, 2024
Maintaining Medicare beneficiaries’ access to telehealth services, especially for behavioral health, must remain an initial priority over payment reform or quality measurement, members of a congressional...
White House promises staffing rule is near as Biden courts fresh attention for caregiving agenda
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 10, 2024
President Joe Biden said Tuesday his administration plans to finalize its nursing home staffing rule in “coming weeks,” just one element of a platform meant to transform caregiving for patients and...
Eschewing a ‘sweet spot’ for boutique-like service at any size: Creative Solutions’ Gary Blake
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 09, 2024
Gary Blake’s nameplate might say CEO, but in some ways, he envisions himself more as chief quality officer of Creative Solutions for Healthcare, the sprawling 159-facility skilled nursing company he...
LTC pharmacies forced to borrow to buy patient drugs, close as drug middlemen tighten grip on sector
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 08, 2024
Nursing home patient access to prescription drugs is being squeezed as several market and regulatory factors have combined to increase the power pharmacy benefit managers have over long-term care pharmacies,...
Providers grateful for certain opportunities in proposed 2025 Medicare pay rule
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 02, 2024
Even though debate will continue about how much Medicare reimbursement should rise next year, there’s little disagreement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services got at least a few things right...
Optimizing RN responsibilities ‘more essential’ than staffing hours: study
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 02, 2024
While the long-term care sector braces for the announcement of a final nursing home staffing mandate from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, new analysis suggests that optimizing the role of...
Immigration reform increasingly urgent to addressing LTC workforce crisis: experts
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Josh Henreckson
Mar 28, 2024
As workforce challenges continue to hound long-term care providers, sector experts increasingly point to immigration reform as a vital step on the path toward long-awaited stability.
SNF leaders call for collaboration, reforms to fix ‘punitive’ regulatory environment
By
Josh Henreckson
Mar 27, 2024
Facing a harsher regulatory environment from the state and federal governments in recent years, top long-term care leaders called for more collaboration and measures that work to improve care quality in...