EXTRA: CMS publishes rule outlining final staffing requirements
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it would exempt nursing homes from having registered nurse coverage for up to 8 out of 24 hours a day “under certain circumstances,” unveiling...
BREAKING: CMS increases hours to 3.48 in final staffing rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
Nursing homes will be required to deliver 3.48 hours daily of direct patient care under a final staffing mandate issued this morning.
Nursing homes weigh pros, cons of new weight loss drugs as limited Medicare coverage kicks in
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
A recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to cover popular new weight loss drugs that provide additional health benefits could be a “game changer” for potentially thousands...
Medicare audits ‘ramping up’ with isolation coding in the crosshairs
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 22, 2024
Auditors are paying special attention to isolation and quarantine coding amid already heightened Medicare nursing home audits that are expected to increase in coming months, experts warn.
Families press for nationwide ‘essential caregiver’ rights
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 18, 2024
More than four years after nearly all visitors were barred from US nursing homes amid a spreading pandemic, consumer advocates are pushing to enshrine permanent access for essential caregivers into federal...
Democrats push new LTC workforce bill as offset to nursing home mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 17, 2024
Key Democratic leaders Tuesday positioned new long-term care workforce legislation as a way to support nursing homes when a first-ever staffing mandate is finalized.
Centralized recruiting, ‘red carpet culture’ are keys to make staffing stick: experts
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 17, 2024
Nursing homes that use tactics such as centralized recruiting, a consistent “red carpet culture” and creative benefits programs will have a leg up in today’s challenging long-term care staffing environment.
Nursing home closed by state over deadly COVID outbreak settles multi-family lawsuit
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 16, 2024
An Oregon nursing home closed by the state after an early 2020 COVID-19 outbreak has reportedly agreed to settle a lawsuit with the families of 13 residents who died.
House bill calls for $1.6B program to bolster nursing home workforce
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 12, 2024
A new US House bill aims to bolster the country’s nursing home workforce with $400 million over each of the next four years.
Congress advisers back permanent telehealth expansions, look to nix in-person rule for behavioral telehealth...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 12, 2024
Maintaining Medicare beneficiaries’ access to telehealth services, especially for behavioral health, must remain an initial priority over payment reform or quality measurement, members of a congressional...