Extra audits clog and freeze Medicare appeals process
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 01, 2014
Providers who want to have an administrative law judge consider a Medicare claim appeal can save their breath and memos for now.
Medicare appeals at the administrative law judge level will be suspended for two years due to backlog,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 17, 2014
Long-term care providers filing to have a Medicare claims appeal heard by an administrative law judge will not have the case assigned to a judge for at least two years, according to the Office of Medicare...
Hospital group to implement CAUTI reduction program in long-term care facilities nationwide
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 06, 2013
A successful program to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitals will be expanded into long-term care settings nationwide, under a contract recently awarded by the Agency for Healthcare...
Docs, hospitals protest two-midnight rule
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 01, 2013
A new policy meant to reduce the number of hospital observation stays should be delayed, and stakeholders should collaborate on a better way to achieve that goal, according to the American Medical Association...
Physician and hospital groups call for delay of ‘two-midnight rule’
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 12, 2013
A policy meant to reduce the number of hospital observation stays is not workable, and stakeholders should collaborate on more comprehensive solutions to the observation stay situation, according to the...
New edition for volunteer management reference book
Sep 04, 2013
The American Hospital Association has released the third edition of “In a Nutshell: A comprehensive resource for Healthcare Volunteer Management.”
Healthcare providers, workers’ unions divided on recently passed bill to swap pay with time off
By
McKnight's Staff
May 13, 2013
The House of Representatives has passed the “Working Families Flexibility Act.” The bill, H.R. 1406, would allow employers to offer paid time off in place of overtime pay, and has put healthcare...
Nursing homes are hospitals’ silent cheering section on this one
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 07, 2012
It’s interesting how competition can make strange bedfellows. Nursing homes and hospitals, for example, are next-door-neighbors on the caregiving block. We all know who has the bigger house on this...
Providers urge federal investigation into inaccuracy of RAC audits
By
McKnight's Staff
Oct 26, 2012
A major hospital group has called for a federal investigation into mistakes made by recovery audit contractors. “Numerous inaccuracies” often result in improperly denied payments and decisions...
New bill would limit power of Medicare recovery audit contractors
By
McKnight's Staff
Oct 17, 2012
Legislation introduced Tuesday aims to reduce some of the authority Medicare’s recovery audit contractors (RACs) wield over investigations into provider claims.