SNF owner led record $1 billion Medicare fraud ring, authorities say
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 25, 2016
The owner of more than 30 Miami-area nursing homes and assisted living facilities has been charged with leading a national record $1 billion-plus Medicare fraud scheme.
CMS to toughen website
By
James M. Berklan
May 02, 2011
Federal regulators are undertaking major changes to the Nursing Home Compare website and will continue to do so for five more months, officials said.
News and Analysis — As OBRA nears 20, criticism continues
By
James M. Berklan
Jun 01, 2007
It’s been nearly 20 years since the government passed landmark nursing home regulation reform. There has been improvement, but that is no reason to celebrate wildly, believes Senate Special Committee...
ACHCA preps for Winter Marketplace conference
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 25, 2014
Organizers will be spinning out of Thanksgiving weekend in a final sprint of preparation for the American College of Health Care Administrators’ 21st Annual Winter Marketplace.
AAHSA: Republican chances of unraveling reform are slim
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2010
Healthcare reform opponents undoubtedly will try, but they are unlikely to be able to undo the landmark healthcare reform law. So said experts at the American Association of Homes and Services for the...
SNF pay has gotten worse, MedPAC says
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 01, 2015
Efforts to reform Medicare have actually damaged the way nursing home operators are being reimbursed, according to a new report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Urban Institute. Report...
This freeze plainly brings you a chilling proposition
By
James M. Berklan
May 02, 2011
News that nursing home ratings would be frozen on the federal website for consumer research for six months drew a lot of interest from providers when regulators’ plans were announced this spring....
A post-acute common pay system possible, CMS says
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 01, 2012
Federal researchers believe a common evaluation and payment model for three types of post-acute care could be up and running in the not-so-distant future. The key might be patient acuity measures that...
Nursing home operators hail ‘historic’ Senate passage of permanent ‘doc fix’...
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 15, 2015
The Senate overwhelmingly voted to pass H.R. 2 Tuesday night, paving the way for repeal of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate and drawing the praise of the largest nursing home association in the country.
Medicare reforms not enough?
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2012
Medicare payment reforms in the Affordable Care Act might lead to more efficient treatment cycles, but they might not wind up lowering overall payouts to providers and other stakeholders, according to...