Thousands of nursing homes face lower Five-Star ratings with changes to staffing stars
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 11, 2022
New Five-Star scoring metrics could penalize an estimated 10% to 16% of providers who have relied on staffing strengths to drive their overall ratings.
Nursing homes become ‘high-risk,’ owners to be fingerprinted under new doc pay rule proposal
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 08, 2022
Nursing home owners could face heightened background screening requirements under a proposal tucked more than 1,000 pages into a huge new proposed physician pay rule released Thursday.
$3T stimulus proposal calls for MFAR delay, 14% FMAP increase, $500M SNF ‘strike team’ fund
By
Danielle Brown
May 14, 2020
A Medicaid proposal that providers say could cut up to $50 billion nationwide from the program annually would be barred from being finalized during the coronavirus pandemic under a $3 trillion stimulus...
A major step forward or lacking teeth? COVID-19 report prompts range of emotions
By
Liza Berger
Sep 18, 2020
The much-anticipated report outlining COVID-19 problems in nursing homes and offering corresponding recommendations elicited a range of opinions from stakeholders Thursday.
Long-term care and CMS workers occupy common ground
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 03, 2013
Long-term care workers and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services employees might have a lot in common — and that’s not entirely good news.
When the rules change, not everyone wins: Counting IC deficiencies in Five-Star
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 05, 2021
Do you remember how, as you were growing up, there was always another kid who would change the rules mid-game to ensure that he won? I do, and it would always make my blood boil. The Centers for Medicare...
CMS on holidays: No get-togethers, full guidance may be forthcoming
By
Liza Berger
Nov 06, 2020
Lest you think Thanksgiving will be a time to soften some COVID-19 restrictions for residents, think again.
BREAKING: CMS vaccine mandate upheld
By
Kimberly Marselas
James M. Berklan
Jan 13, 2022
A vaccine requirement for staff at all U.S. nursing homes and other federally funded healthcare facilities can proceed, the Supreme Court said in a 5-4 decision Thursday afternoon.
Five-Star is anything but frozen
By
Steven Littlehale
Dec 13, 2017
The day after Thanksgiving, CMS further defined its intensions with the Five-Star Quality Rating System; more specifically how the new survey process and derivative data will be used in its calculation...
Providers tell CMS it’s ‘decidedly’ the wrong time to toy with PDPM rates
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 03, 2021
Providers need more time before the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would implement any adjustments to PDPM payment rates, operators and associations have told the agency in official comments.