CMS budget defines nursing home quality targets, requests an additional $50 million for surveys
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 12, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 requests additional funds for survey activities and lists the agency’s targets for nursing home quality measures.
CMS to weigh comments on disqualifying convictions in crafting background check regulations
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 11, 2014
Long-term care stakeholders generally support proposed regulations on background checks of direct care workers, according to an informational memorandum issued Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Regulators to double down on QAPI after government report on adverse events in post-acute care
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 07, 2014
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sees the upcoming Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement guidelines, not harsher penalties, as the way to reduce adverse events in post-acute care, officials...
Updated emergency prep checklist from CMS includes resident tracking procedures
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 04, 2014
Long-term care facilities should have written plans for how they will track residents during evacuations, according to an updated emergency preparedness checklist from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Likely closure can’t stop CMS termination
By
Julie Williamson
Mar 01, 2014
Despite meeting criteria for “irreparable injury,” a Rochester, NY-based skilled nursing facility that is appealing Medicare and Medicaid termination can’t qualify for a stay of termination,...
Ask the care expert … about interpretive guidance
By
Sherrie Dornberger
Mar 01, 2014
I heard there was communication to surveyors on being required to cite the regulation and not the interpretive guidance. Where can I find this?
Don’t miss a webinar on bundled payments March 7
Mar 03, 2014
Learn the basics of the bundled payment program offered by CMS in a webinar featuring expert Ellen Lukens.
With ICD-10 transition date firm and testing imminent, Medicare agency releases new provider resources
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 28, 2014
Long-term care providers can refer to newly released materials about looming ICD-10 testing and the overall transition to the new coding system, but they should not expect any delay in the Oct. 1 transition...
Long-term care groups applaud a pause in Medicare audits, urge permanent changes
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 21, 2014
Long-term care stakeholders are praising the government’s decision to temporarily pause the recovery audit contractor program, which is associated with a huge backlog of Medicare claims appeals.
CMS memo explains four-part testing approach for ICD-10 implementation
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
A new transmittal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides details about its four-part approach to implementing ICD-10 codes for Medicare fee-for-service claims. Medicare providers will...