Provider networks up for debate among Catholic bishops
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 12, 2014
Catholic healthcare providers are important players in the increasingly integrated U.S. healthcare system, but now church leaders are considering more stringent guidelines for these partnerships.
Congressional advisors waver on eliminating observation stays
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 21, 2015
Getting rid of hospital observation stays might not be a good idea after all, according to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission members who previously pushed for the change. Even if observation status...
National Quality Forum supports quality measures in bill to standardize post-acute assessments
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 23, 2014
The National Quality Forum has come out in strong support of a proposed standardized quality measures, such as skin integrity, across different types of post-acute care settings. Uniform assessments are...
Hackers steal HIPAA-protected info of 4.5 million people from hospital network
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 19, 2014
Long-term care and other provider types already have been on the alert for large-scale computer breaches, and their concerns likely will be stoked by news that one of the nation’s largest hospital...
Draft bill proposes counting observation stays for SNF coverage, limiting RAC oversight
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 24, 2014
Hospital observation stays would count toward establishing Medicare eligibility for post-acute services, under comprehensive reforms in a new draft bill from the House Committee on Ways and Means. The...
LTC Commission is making headway on a three-part report, staff director says
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 14, 2013
With about a month to go before voting on policy recommendations, the Congressional Commission on Long-Term Care has drafted the first chapters of its report, commission staff director Larry Atkins said...
Dual eligibles more likely to go from hospitals to lower quality nursing homes, referral process might...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 27, 2014
People eligible both for Medicare and Medicaid go to lower-quality nursing homes after being hospitalized at a rate higher than Medicare-only patients, according to researchers from Brown and Harvard universities.
Judge issues ruling in $1 billion nursing home case, says IL governor’s firm not responsible
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 17, 2014
A federal bankruptcy judge tentatively ruled that two New York businessmen, and not a private equity firm formerly led by the incoming Illinois governor, are responsible for $1 billion in nursing home...
All stroke patients should have access to rehabilitation, skilled nursing care: American Heart Association
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 03, 2013
Every person who has a stroke should have access to needed rehabilitation and skilled nursing services regardless of how they are financing their healthcare, according to a new policy recommendation from...
Florida warehousing disabled children in nursing homes, federal lawsuit alleges
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 23, 2013
The federal government has sued the state of Florida, alleging that hundreds of disabled children are unnecessarily living in nursing homes in the state, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday....