In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started focused on-site surveys to address the issue of erroneous coding of schizophrenia in nursing homes. More recently, the agency began conducting...
Be your own data defender
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 15, 2023
“Well, it’s clear that you’ve never set foot into a nursing home.” I know you’ve thought that while reading a memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or your state agency, taking...
New SNF Value-Based Purchasing program: Act now!
By
Steven Littlehale
Apr 28, 2023
When I read my first SNF PPS final rule about 25 years ago, I thought that the start dates for some of its initiatives were so far in the future that they were of no concern. As a young person, my long-range...
Painting by numbers: the way to go to make the right business decisions
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 24, 2014
The reasons to pursue more robust data-crunching activities keep growing. Especially for long-term care providers, who could have a leg up on other providers and payers.
Beyond ‘document, document document’ — Risk mitigation strategies that work
By
Steven Littlehale
Feb 03, 2023
We encounter risk every day. Risk is present in the most innocuous actions, like crossing the street, walking into the supermarket, and even eating dinner. And as nursing home operators and providers well...
Unraveling the impact: PDPM Medicaid case-mix index and potential Five-Star Rating challenges
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 01, 2024
The landscape of Medicaid reimbursement for nursing homes is undergoing significant changes. Presently, eight states have adopted the PDPM case-mix index (CMI) model, and an additional 31 states are set...
Risk mitigation strategies for supporting employees too!
By
Steven Littlehale
Mar 03, 2023
Last month I wrote about risk. I shared that risk in a nursing home originates from many places: residents and families, federal and state regulators, vendors, payers, insurance companies, referral sources...
Bridging the gaps
By
John Andrews
Apr 02, 2012
Information technology initiatives bolster long-term care providers’ ability to trace and evaluate the quality of care they deliver to their residents.
Quality care at hand
By
Julie Williamson
Jan 03, 2012
From tablets to smartphones, mobile technology is now an affordable way to spend more time with a resident while boosting efficiency for the caregiver.
Providers find few silver linings, stew over minimum staffing demands
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 05, 2023
The initial jolt of the newly proposed nursing home staffing mandate has softened little over the long holiday weekend and now those tasked with making it work — providers — are coming to grips with...