States can designate more nursing homes in urgent need of quality improvement, government says
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 22, 2014
The federal government is reactivating the special focus facility program for nursing homes with quality issues, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced. The program was minimized due...
OIG probes hospitalizations
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jan 01, 2014
A fourth of the 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries who lived in a nursing home in 2011 were hospitalized for at least one day. This came at a cost of $14.3 billion, according to a Nov. 18 report from the...
Top 5 news stories reveal varied interests among long-term care professionals
By
John O'Connor
Jan 03, 2014
What do neck abnormalities, dangerous bacteria, a murder-suicide, a defensive nursing home chain, and antipsychotic guidelines have in common? These five developments were voted the most popular news stories...
Two-midnight rule sends hospital inpatient admissions crashing to record lows, analysis finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 19, 2013
A newly implemented admissions policy has driven hospital inpatient stays to record low levels, according to an analysis from researchers associated with Citigroup.
Feds ease auditing reviews, anti-fraud efforts to surge
By
John O'Connor
Dec 01, 2013
Providers likely will embrace House legislation that eases billing reviews for operators deemed a low fraud risk.
CMS allows less-severe citations for nursing homes installing a sprinkler system
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 19, 2013
Nursing homes might be able to reduce the scope and severity of deficiency citations related to sprinkler systems, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced.
CMS: Nursing homes may not establish blanket no-CPR policies
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 28, 2013
Nursing homes will face survey citations for facility-wide policies that prohibit cardiopulmonary resuscitation for residents, according to a recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services memorandum.
CMS puts surveyors on alert for those ‘gaming’ system
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2013
Federal regulators say surveyors need to prevent providers from possibly “gaming” the system when it comes to the timing of surveys and sales.
Bigger trash cans allowed in updated LSC waiver rule
By
Ashley Carman
Sep 05, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated its Life Safety Code Waivers on Aug. 30. The update is designed to prevent “unreasonable hardship” for providers while maintaining resident...
Nursing homes will be subject to escrow for all civil monetary penalties, CMS announces
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 05, 2013
Nursing homes facing a civil monetary penalty due to any type of deficiency will be subject to escrow and entitled to request an independent informal dispute resolution process, according to a newly issued...