Federal court dismisses whistleblower lawsuit over Omnicare, PharMerica withholding generic drugs
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 18, 2014
A federal court in New York has tossed a whistleblower lawsuit charging that large long-term care pharmacies violated the False Claims Act by failing to dispense requested generic drugs.
Same-sex married couples now have expanded Medicare enrollment options, HHS announces
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 04, 2014
Seniors now are eligible to receive premium-free Medicare Part A coverage if they are married to someone of the same sex, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday.
Medicaid-only long-term care residents driving up state expenditures, report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 20, 2014
Among people eligible for Medicaid but not Medicare, long-term care residents are most likely to be among the costliest beneficiaries for a state, according to a new report from the Government Accountability...
Congress passes a bill to extend Medicare cuts an additional year
By
Tim Mullaney
Feb 14, 2014
The Senate has passed a bill to extend 2% cuts to Medicare reimbursements for an additional year, and the measure now is headed to the White House for President Obama’s signature.
Congress passes budget that would extend Medicare cuts, soften sequestration
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 19, 2013
A bipartisan budget deal is on the verge of becoming law, after being passed by the U.S. Senate in a 64-36 vote on Wednesday. Long-term care leaders called for passage of the two-year spending plan after...
Ryan, Murray strike budget deal that would extend Medicare sequestration cuts
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 11, 2013
Top House and Senate budget negotiators have carved out a deal that would end many parts of the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, but long-term care providers would face an additional...
Hospice to pay $3 million to settle Medicare fraud whistleblower case
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 07, 2013
A Florida-based hospice provider has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging false Medicare claims, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
CMS final rule: SNFs to receive $30 million less in Medicare payments than initially proposed
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 02, 2013
A Medicare payment rate update will increase aggregate skilled nursing facility reimbursements by $470 million during fiscal year 2014, according to a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Post-acute care largely explains geographic differences in Medicare spending, report affirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 29, 2013
Geographic variances in post-acute care largely account for differences in Medicare spending patterns, supporting healthcare reform measures that encourage better acute and post-acute coordination, according...