CMS to ease reporting rules for EHR Incentive program
By
John Hall
Feb 02, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed easing the reporting rules for providers implementing electronic health records, which could come as good news for long-term care providers increasingly...
CMS awards Recovery Audit DME contract
Jan 06, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has given a recovery audit contract to Connolly LLC, a subsidiary of Connolly iHealth Technologies, in Region 5. The firm will oversee Medicare claims for Durable...
More than $80 million paid out to Pioneer ACO beneficiaries, report finds
By
Elizabeth Newman
Jan 05, 2015
Nearly $81 million has been made in payments on behalf of beneficiaries in Pioneer accountable care organizations through Sept. 30, a new report finds.
3M receives specific codes
Dec 16, 2014
3M Critical & Chronic Care Solutions Division announced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services assigned product-specific Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes for the 3M™ Coban™ 2 Layer...
Another revenue stream threatened?
By
John O'Connor
Dec 05, 2014
For just about every skilled nursing facility out there, this is probably a good time to break out the flop sweat. That is, unless the prospect of being culled from one of your most vital revenue streams...
New ACO proposals could leave long-term care providers smiling
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 03, 2014
If nothing else, federal health officials displayed Monday that they are intent on getting this accountable care organization (ACO) thing right. Or at least closer to “right” than it has been.
Brennan to lead new CMS office
Nov 20, 2014
Niall Brennan is the first Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Chief Data Officer, the agency announced. He will lead the new Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics.
Replace the Five Star Quality Ratings system with points?
By
John O'Connor
Nov 17, 2014
There’s a need to fix what’s broken with the Five Star nursing homes-ratings system, and the way to do it is obvious.
The schizophrenia of patient-centered care
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Nov 11, 2014
Is it me or sometimes do the wide interpretations within the State Operations Manual (the dreaded “RED book”) make you want to question your entire existence? I mean, we’ve been working...
Antipsychotics goal gets reset
By
Elizabeth Newman
Nov 01, 2014
Long-term care providers are being asked to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications among residents by 25% by the end of 2015, and 30% by the end of 2016.