Letter: State Medicaid directors want more help from feds
Nov 03, 2011
State Medicaid directors want more help from the federal government in implementing expanded Medicaid eligibility requirements, according to a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
Senate hearing seeks improvement in assisted living oversight
Nov 02, 2011
Improving oversight of assisted living facilities will be the hot topic at a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging this afternoon. The “Ensuring quality and oversight in assisted living”...
How to avoid end-of-therapy pitfalls
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Oct 28, 2011
You are not required to offer therapy services on weekends under new MDS 3.0 changes instituted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But you do have to be careful if you don’t.
McKnight’s interviews CMS chief Donald Berwick on camera
Oct 26, 2011
Video footage of McKnight’s Editorial Director John O’Connor interviewing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D. can now be seen at www.mcknights.com.
Getting proactive on hospital readmissions
By
Ben Adkins
Oct 21, 2011
Long-term care providers have plenty at stake when it comes to the issue of hospital readmissions, and working to reduce them. As debt ceiling talks and federal budget woes raise the specter of additional...
LTC groups react to final ACO rule
Oct 21, 2011
Federal regulators have boosted incentives for becoming part of an accountable care organization, drawing a more positive response from long-term care providers.
Medicare and Medicaid chief tells long-term care providers: CMS is on their side
Oct 19, 2011
Improving the quality of care and targeting waste and fraud are priorities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, chief Donald Berwick, M.D. told a large group of long-term care providers Tuesday.
CMS: Count on lower reimbursement levels, tougher scrutiny of provider billing practices
Oct 18, 2011
Providers at a special healthcare policy forum in Washington received a sobering evaluation Monday for why they were hit with an average 11.1% cut in Medicare reimbursement starting Oct. 1. A top long-term...
Nursing home mixes disco and dancing to rally enthusiasm
Oct 14, 2011
Faced with flagging morale due to looming Medicare cuts, one nursing home operator came up with the answer: let’s dance.
CMS to disseminate more info about MDS 3.0, other issues and address questions in conference call
Oct 06, 2011
Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be hosting a monthly Skilled Nursing/LTC Open Door Forum a week from Thursday (Oct. 20) — not on Oct. 13, as originally announced. It...