Stroke patients should have access to robust palliative care, American Heart Association urges in first-of-its-kind...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 31, 2014
Stroke survivors have “enormous” palliative care needs, and healthcare providers should ensure they can provide these services, according to a scientific statement released Friday by the American...
RACs recovered $8,000 from skilled nursing facilities, $2.3 billion overall in 2012, report shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors collected about $8,000 in fiscal year 2012 through a skilled nursing facility claims review pilot, according to a recently released annual report to Congress.
Acute, post-acute partnerships reduce C. diff about 50% in Washington state
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 25, 2014
Hospitals and post-acute facilities in Washington state have cut their rate of Clostridium difficile infections in half since 2012 by partnering with each other in a robust infection control program, according...
McDermott urges RAC penalties for successfully appealed decisions
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 21, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors should face financial penalties when providers successfully challenge their decisions, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) stated in a recent letter to the head of the Health...
Standardized tool for assessing post-acute care is floated in House and Senate
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 20, 2014
Lawmakers in both houses of Congress have unveiled a draft bill calling for post-acute care providers to furnish standard assessment data, with the goals of enabling better quality oversight and driving...
Dual eligibles in nursing homes have fewer hospitalizations than those in home- and community-based care,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 19, 2014
Elderly, frail people are more likely to be hospitalized if they are receiving home- or community-based services than if they live in a nursing home, according to newly published research. Recent Medicaid...
WV Supreme Court hears ManorCare’s appeal of $90 million verdict
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 07, 2014
The West Virginia Supreme Court will consider the distinction between corporate negligence and medical negligence as it weighs a $90 million verdict against an HCR ManorCare facility, according to reports...
Senate bill would revamp 2-midnight rule for hospital inpatient admissions
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 07, 2014
Providers’ complaints about the so-called “two-midnight rule” for determining hospital inpatient status have led to a new bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate, which would create less rigid...
White House proposes ‘accelerated’ skilled nursing facility payment cuts
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 05, 2014
The White House’s proposed 2015 budget includes sharp cuts to skilled nursing facility reimbursements, which has drawn strong criticism from the nation’s largest long-term care provider group....
Catholic long-term care provider claims free speech violations in its full appeal against Affordable...
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 26, 2014
A Catholic long-term care provider is claiming freedom of speech and religious freedom violations in a much-anticipated legal appeal over the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.