States push CMS to repeal COVID-19 vaccine mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 18, 2022
A coalition of 22 states is taking a new angle in its attempts to overturn a national mandate requiring that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19: They’re simply asking federal regulators...
NJ firm encouraged nursing home staff to make bogus hospice referrals: lawsuit
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 05, 2023
A New Jersey company pressured nursing home staff to refer ineligible patients to hospice care, exaggerating their conditions and defrauding the government in the process, a federal whistleblower lawsuit...
Disgraced nursing home operator Schwartz hit with new $7.7 million ruling
By
Kimberly Marselas
Aug 30, 2022
A disgraced nursing home owner must pay $7.7 million to a medical supply company, one of many debtors he owed after the collapse of Skyline Healthcare.
Bill to block staffing rule, other LTC measures to headline Congressional hearing
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 29, 2024
A bill that many providers view as the best bet to upend the federal nursing home staffing mandate finalized last week will get another hearing in Congress Tuesday.
‘Imperative’ to finalize staffing rule this year, dozens of House members tell CMS
By
Kimberly Marselas
Mar 20, 2023
More than a quarter of the House of Representatives signed a letter last week urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to move forward with its plan to institute a nationwide staffing mandate...
Long-term care’s big days in court
By
Kimberly Marselas
Dec 06, 2022
If you’ve been around skilled nursing even just a little while, you’ve seen how these False Claims cases end up, especially since the individuals suing can win triple damages for reporting alleged...
In major win for insurer, court rules Genesis must absorb costs of multiple COVID suits
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 21, 2022
Genesis Healthcare could be on the hook for millions of dollars in potential COVID-19 settlements, following a federal judge’s decision that the skilled nursing giant’s insurer does not have to cover...
Guess what’s coming to nursing homes next
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 03, 2024
I remember when the Patient Driven Payment Model rule was just a proposal inching its way toward finalization, its concept of assigning points for specific non-therapy ancillary costs a pretty exciting...
OIG urges CMS to use claims to uncover abuse of Medicare patients
By
Kimberly Marselas
Nov 10, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has pledged to issue new guidance on resident abuse after a federal watchdog found the agency was failing to use claims data to spot potential cases of neglect...
New CMS data platform raises concerns about access, worker privacy
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 20, 2022
A technology change is raising concerns about data access and worker privacy as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services transitions to a new, more secure data-reporting process.