Most states choose long-term care to receive first COVID vaccinations, feds say
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 10, 2020
Although they are not obliged to do so, 36 states so far have told federal health officials that first doses should go to long-term care facilities, the COO of Operation Warp Speed said Wednesday.
The peculiar puzzle
By
Julie Thorson
Dec 09, 2020
As we are looking for things to do at home, we’ve returned to the “good ol’ days” of jigsaw puzzles. Of course, my husband and son made fun of me as I spent afternoons working on them only to have...
Nursing home providers sue over alleged misallocation of $150M in COVID-19 funding
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 09, 2020
Long-term care providers in Pennsylvania are accusing the state of withholding more than $150 million in federal funding meant to support nursing homes during the public health crisis.
Nursing home advocates warn no Medicare pay update could hurt providers
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 09, 2020
The American Health Care Association is challenging the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission after it recommended temporary solutions, versus permanent payment changes, for providers negatively impacted...
Nursing homes had ‘substantially higher’ COVID cases, deaths than those in HCBS programs: study
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 09, 2020
Seniors who live in nursing homes were at an increased risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19 compared to those who live in home-and community-based settings during the pandemic’s early months,...
Multiple jobs held by nurses, direct care workers tied to coronavirus transmission
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 09, 2020
Many healthcare workers with secondary jobs move across health settings, and 15% of second jobs for personal care and nursing aides are in other essential occupations, investigators say.
Nursing Home Quality Incentive Program? Hardly
By
Brendan Williams
Dec 08, 2020
Was any federal program ever more misnamed than the “Nursing Home Quality Incentive Program”? Rather than reward nursing home quality, it has effectively rewarded states that have out-of-control COVID-19...
Parkinson: Vaccinate all long-term care by March and slash coronavirus mortality 40 percent
By
Alicia Lasek
Dec 08, 2020
A one-month delay “could result in more than 20,000 of our residents losing their lives when a vaccine could have saved them,” AHCA / NCAL leader Mark Parkinson said Monday.
Providers on $523M in COVID-19 incentive payments: ‘A testament to the perseverance and commitment...
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 08, 2020
More than two-thirds of eligible nursing homes will receive incentive payments this week for successfully reducing COVID-related infections and deaths between September and October.
BREAKING: HHS awards nursing homes $523M in COVID-19 performance payments
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 07, 2020
Federal authorities announced Monday that it will be distributing $523 million in the second round of performance payments. More than 9,000 nursing homes that have successfully reduced COVID-19-related...