Social Security numbers to be removed from Medicare beneficiary cards
By
John Hall
Apr 21, 2015
After more than 10 years of warnings by government investigators, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now has a mandate to remove Social Security numbers from enrollees’ cards — a practice...
Former CMS boss says reforms underway, regardless of how Supreme Court rules
By
McKnight's Staff
Jun 26, 2012
Even if the Supreme Court repeals the Affordable Care Act, its early reforms have already delivered promising benefits, according to former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald...
Self-reported quality data from special focus facilities is unreliable, report suggests
Dec 23, 2011
Self-reported quality and staffing information from nursing homes categorized as Special Focus Facilities (SFFs) is unreliable and should not be published on Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare website,...
Provider groups suggest Medicare payment freezes, gradual recalibrations
Jul 01, 2011
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should keep Medicare payment rates to skilled nursing facilities at the current level for one year, instead of implementing an 11.3% cut in fiscal year 2012,...
CMS clarifies rules regarding vaccines, respite care for hospice patients
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 11, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has loosened regulatory language regarding which providers can furnish vaccines to hospice patients, and has tightened enforcement of a five-day payment limit...
CMS releases Medicare physician payment information, includes some nursing home affiliations
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 10, 2014
Long-term care providers and residents now can glean insights into where their local doctors stack up nationally by referring to newly released data on Medicare physician payments. For the first time ever,...
Advancing Excellence unveils new goals, including resident mobility, infection management
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 21, 2013
The Advancing Excellence campaign has released updated goals and called on nursing homes to actively use the framework for achieving better quality care.
Delay of RUGs-IV confuses calculation of nursing home reimbursement rates, regulators say
Apr 24, 2010
Federal health officials said Thursday that they still don’t have a way to calculate proper Medicare nursing home reimbursement rates after mandated changes are to take place this fall with the introduction...
Pharmacists push for study before implementing short-cycle dispensing rule
Mar 23, 2011
The National Community Pharmacists Association on Tuesday called for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to collect additional data before implementing a rule that would shorten the medication...
Post-acute care largely explains geographic differences in Medicare spending, report affirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 29, 2013
Geographic variances in post-acute care largely account for differences in Medicare spending patterns, supporting healthcare reform measures that encourage better acute and post-acute coordination, according...