Obama addresses rumors about healthcare reform, accuses opponents of using scare tactics
Aug 12, 2009
President Barack Obama attempted to clear up misconceptions about healthcare reform in a town hall meeting Tuesday. One rumor he addressed is that reform would create government death panels that would...
Maryland mandates end-of-life wishes form for LTC residents
Oct 11, 2011
Maryland healthcare professionals will soon be required to complete a form outlining a patient’s end-of-life wishes upon admission to a long-term care facility, according to a new regulation.
Medicare demonstration project to cover hospice, curative care
Sep 08, 2010
The Medicare program is gearing up to begin a 15-site demonstration project that will provide both hospice care and life-sustaining treatments to Medicare beneficiaries, according to recent reports.
Health reform, Steve Jobs and owning more of the aging services pie
By
Anthony Cirillo
May 05, 2010
To survive in this new era of healthcare reform, long-term care organizations need to carve out a bigger role in the continuum of care.
Hospice payment system requires reform, staff tells MedPAC
Nov 11, 2008
Medicare hospice payment reform will be necessary to combat the rising cost of hospice, staff members suggested recently to the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC).
New palliative care ethical guideline released
Jul 01, 2008
Palliative care workers are allowed to sedate some patients with intractable pain at the end of life–but only as a last-resort measure, according to a new ethical guideline approved by the American...
Agency’s crackdown on drug thefts hurts nursing home residents, senators say
Oct 30, 2009
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s efforts to combat narcotics abuse and theft in nursing homes actually negatively affect those residents and hospice care patients who need pain medications, two senators...
Reduce Medicare payments for hospice care in skilled nursing facilities, MedPAC suggests
By
McKnight's Staff
Apr 08, 2013
The government should consider Medicare payment cuts for hospice services provided in skilled nursing facilities, according to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) commissioners. A reduction of...
New congressional report lends credibility to end-of-life provision in House reform bill
Aug 14, 2009
A report released this week has found that end-of-life planning and discussions both improves quality of life near death and is associated with less aggressive and less costly care.
Hospices see Medicare payment increase
Jul 26, 2012
Medicare payments to hospice providers had a slight boost in 2013, according to a regulator notice released Tuesday. These providers also should be preparing to report quality data and additional diagnosis...