On Monday, Medicare began fining nearly two-thirds of hospitals that have high numbers of patients who are readmitted within 30 days of discharge for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.
CDC: Flu vaccinations among LTC workers declining
By
McKnight's Staff
Oct 01, 2012
While influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers have increased overall, fewer long-term care facility employees are being vaccinated, a government survey has found.
Healthcare jobs account for 17% of total new jobs
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 10, 2012
Although healthcare jobs represented 17% of the economy’s total new jobs in August, job growth in the sector is still sluggish, analysts say.
CMS should modernize hospital admission status policies, say provider groups
By
McKnight's Staff
Sep 07, 2012
Provider groups assert regulators should update existing policies when determining hospital inpatient and outpatient admission status.
Medicare auditors becoming more active, denying more claims, survey shows
By
McKnight's Staff
Aug 29, 2012
Requests for medical records by Medicare’s fraud-detecting recovery audit contractors (RACs) jumped sharply from the first- to the second-quarter of fiscal year 2012, a new survey reveals.
Predict massive surge in analytics use
Aug 22, 2012
Hospitals are about to dramatically enhance analytics to reduce costs and enhance the value of their electronic health records, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan.
ACOs making progress in improving care transition, survey finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Aug 21, 2012
A snapshot of hospitals involved in accountable care organizations finds that they are making progress in improving the coordination of care.
CMS adds new providers to care transition program
Aug 20, 2012
Seventeen new sites, which includes some skilled nursing facilities, were added to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services care transitions program, the agency announced Friday.
C. diff and related deaths far more prevalent than government data suggests: report
By
McKnight's Staff
Aug 16, 2012
Clostridium difficile transmission and mortality rates are far higher in nursing homes and other healthcare settings than the most recent government statistics suggest, an investigation has found.
Over 2,000 hospitals will be targeted for readmission penalties starting Oct. 1
Aug 14, 2012
In about six weeks, more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals will be subject to financial penalties for preventable readmissions, making their relationships with post-acute providers more important than ever.