CMS issues more in-depth survey guidelines to reduce readmissions; invites comments on assistant reporting
By
McKnight's Staff
May 20, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the provider certification manual for hospitals, giving more in-depth guidelines around discharge planning. The goal is for hospitals to reduce...
As states cut Medicaid funds, nursing home group proposes bad debt fix
Feb 01, 2012
Forty states have either frozen or cut Medicaid-financed nursing home care for seniors between 2009 and 2011, a new survey has found.
RACs recovered $8,000 from skilled nursing facilities, $2.3 billion overall in 2012, report shows
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 27, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors collected about $8,000 in fiscal year 2012 through a skilled nursing facility claims review pilot, according to a recently released annual report to Congress.
SNFs should focus on partnerships, quality, to weather uncertain future, experts say
Jan 16, 2012
In order to survive an uncertain financial and regulatory environment, skilled nursing operators need to look at partnering with other healthcare systems and improving the quality of care, analysts say.
SNFs should expect more ‘worthless services’ whistleblower charges, expert says
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 08, 2014
Skilled nursing facilities soon might be facing an onslaught of whistleblower lawsuits alleging “worthless services,” a legal expert cautioned Tuesday.
Skilled nursing facilities, already bracing for scheduled Medicare payment cuts of $65 million, face further losses that could total hundreds of millions of dollars, according to an Avalere Health analysis.
Experts: Hospitals should work directly with nursing homes to address infections
By
Marty Stempniak
Mar 02, 2018
Hospitals have made much greater strides in cutting infection rates than their peers in the long-term care space and should work more closely with the latter to share know-how and better address the issues,...
Ask the payment expert … about RAC nursing home audits
By
Patricia Boyer
Aug 01, 2013
We keep hearing about RACs in skilled nursing homes but we haven’t seen any in our state, so why should we worry about them?
All ACOs should be allowed to waive 3-midnight requirement for Medicare skilled nursing coverage, MedPAC...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 18, 2014
Accountable care organizations should be able to place patients in skilled nursing facilities more quickly and communicate which SNFs are preferred providers, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission stated...
Wounds unwelcome
By
John Andrews
Nov 01, 2013
As hospitals look for post-acute provider partners, skilled nursing operators must gauge their effectiveness at post-operative care and wound prevention