Many post-acute providers anticipate being acquired by more tech-savvy competitors, survey shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 14, 2014
Nearly half of post-acute providers anticipate they will be acquired by an organization with better technological capabilities in 2015, according to survey results released today.
CMS clarifies reporting requirements for hospice providers operating in skilled nursing facilities
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 04, 2014
New revisions to the Medicare Claims Processing manual are intended to clarify requirements for hospice providers operating in skilled nursing facilities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced...
Telemedicine reduces nursing homes’ hospital readmissions if staff engagement is high, researchers...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 04, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities that implement a telemedicine service and teach staff to use it could reduce their hospital readmissions, but current payment systems do not encourage this, according to a forthcoming...
Jimmo guidance: Document whether therapy is for restoration or maintenance before providing care
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 20, 2013
In seeking Medicare reimbursement, skilled nursing facilities should not claim that therapy was to maintain a patient’s condition if documentation reflected only an improvement goal, according to...
MedPAC renews call for long-term care payment cuts, draws fire from providers
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 13, 2013
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended a 4% reduction in skilled nursing facility payments in 2016, prompting an outcry from providers.
CMS announces declining readmission rate for Medicare patients, credits Affordable Care Act
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 09, 2013
Improved transitions between acute and post-acute settings are partly responsible for continuing nationwide declines in hospital readmission rates, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
New ‘electronic brief’ could help caregivers manage incontinence, report suggests
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 06, 2013
A newly developed “electronic brief” has been designed to improve the quality of incontinence care in skilled nursing facilities, according to a report from the Australian Associated Press.
ACA put the brakes on spending across the care continuum, White House economists say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 21, 2013
Spending on healthcare, including skilled nursing care, has grown at a historically slow rate in the last three years, according to a new analysis from the Council of Economic Advisers. The group, which...
Hospital admission rates show need for new nursing home quality measure , OIG and CMS say
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 20, 2013
One in four nursing home residents on Medicare was hospitalized in 2011, costing the program $14.3 billion, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector...
More than 6,000 skilled nursing facilities achieved notable gains in the first year of the American Health Care Association’s Quality Initiative, the provider association announced yesterday.