CMS to lose half of staff in shutdown, full impact on providers uncertain
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 28, 2023
Nursing home providers should not see any interruption in Medicaid and Medicare benefits during a short-term government shutdown, experts and sector observers said as Congress moved closer to the precipice...
‘A lot of barriers’ hitting LTC communities in search of COVID vaccines
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Nov 02, 2023
Despite a major push from the Biden administration to get the COVID vaccine used far and wide, at least one long-term care infection prevention expert said her community barely got enough to cover skilled...
Bad federal and state responses paved way for nursing homes’ sad pandemic outcomes, Harvard researcher...
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Aug 22, 2023
The national response to the pandemic failed to protect residents — and their caregivers — emphasized a prominent healthcare policy researcher Monday.
COVID-designated nursing home to pay up after stiffing employees on pandemic OT
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Oct 20, 2023
A Rhode Island nursing home that was designated a COVID-19 specialty facility will pay more than $288,000 in back wages to employees who were shorted overtime pay during the pandemic.
Medical marijuana lawsuit highlights provider trap as laws clash
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Oct 11, 2023
A new case challenging an applicant’s dismissal due to medical marijuana use is raising concerns about what kind of legal protection job seekers and facilities have — especially amid a national nursing...
More states increasing scrutiny of healthcare transactions, with skilled nursing targeted
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Aug 15, 2023
California’s new proposed rules on health entity transactions are aimed at addressing rising medical costs but legal experts say the measures could chase away investors due to the public disclosure requirements.
13 years of CMS inaction on private-equity facility ownership ‘egregious’: Grassley
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Mar 07, 2023
Thirteen years later, US Sen. Charles Grassley has reignited a push to get federal regulators to implement rules to require transparency at long-term care facilities backed by private equity.
‘Wrong-headed’ bill would limit nursing home financial power over residents
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Feb 15, 2023
Legislation proposed to protect seniors’ financial assets against bad actors connected with nursing homes would actually punish some vulnerable seniors, says a leading long-term care advocate in New...
As Medicaid disenrollments surge, concerns about nursing home residents persist
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Jun 05, 2023
Although hundreds of thousands have been knocked off state Medicaid rolls this spring, worries about dropped coverage for Medicaid-dependent nursing home residents have so far not proven reality in large...
Unique federal-state partnership bringing nursing homes into value-based care program
By
Jessica R. Towhey
May 31, 2023
Hospitals must begin to view nursing homes as “equal partners” to ensure success in a unique state-federal partnership that aims to reduce costs and improve care, according to one advocate involved...