Klusch: Providers must take ownership of their PEPPERs
By
Stephanie H. Kim
Jun 04, 2014
It is “totally wrong” for providers to let their PEPPERs fall into the hands of outside vendors, a leading long-term care coding and payment expert warned a national audience on Tuesday.
‘Special’ times ahead for more nursing homes, and that’s not good
By
James M. Berklan
May 28, 2014
As spring blends into summer, some nursing home operators are going to start feeling more heat — and it will have nothing to do with the weather. They will be given places on the proverbial hot seat....
3 value-based purchasing strategies to help you get ahead
By
Sally Rodriguez
May 21, 2014
Long-term care providers have a stronger hook than they probably realize regarding the toughening of penalties for hospitals with high readmission rates.
Close the infection loop to reduce outbreak risk
May 12, 2014
The readmission scores of nursing homes will be posted to the Nursing Home Compare website beginning in 2017, and the VBP program will begin Oct. 1, 2018. For the first time, facilities will not just face...
Medicare hospice payments set to increase; Washington Post ties payment system to lack of care for suffering...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 06, 2014
A troubling proportion of hospices fail to provide skilled nursing care to patients approaching death or who are experiencing a crisis such as increased pain, according to a lengthy Washington Post article...
Federal government notes slowdown in nursing home spending
By
Tim Mullaney
May 06, 2014
Decreased payouts for nursing home care was one reason that healthcare spending grew more slowly for seniors than for any other age group between 2002 and 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
CMS: Medicare rate will increase 2% in 2015, boosting skilled nursing facility reimbursements by $750...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 02, 2014
Medicare would increase skilled nursing facility reimbursements by $750 million in 2015 under an updated payment rate proposed Thursday. CMS also will begin tying reimbursements to new statistical area...
COMS partners with Remedy
Apr 22, 2014
COMS Interactive LLC has announced a collaboration with Remedy Partners Inc. around the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement program.
Final rate notice signals continued pressure on Medicare Advantage payments
By
Jennifer Rak
Apr 21, 2014
CMS recently finalized Medicare Advantage plan payment rates for Calendar Year 2015 and announced other changes to payment and program policies for MA and Part D plans. Although the announcement included...
A time for nursing homes to embrace the cheddar while they can
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 16, 2014
It can almost be classified as a case of no good deed going unpunished. However, even though this is about long-term care, let’s not be quite so skeptical. Progress is progress.