A vaccine requirement for staff at all U.S. nursing homes and other federally funded healthcare facilities can proceed, the Supreme Court said in a 5-4 decision Thursday afternoon.
CMS memo: ‘Dramatic staff losses’ not happening due to vax requirements
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 02, 2022
Declaring once again that “Vaccine requirements work,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on Tuesday urged healthcare facility administrators to increase...
Judge slaps nationwide freeze on healthcare worker COVID vax mandate
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2021
A Louisiana federal judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s mandate that says all healthcare workers involved in the Medicare or Medicaid programs must be...
BREAKING: Supreme Court speeds vax mandates to Jan. 7 hearing
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 22, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court took the unusual step of announcing Wednesday night that it would hear arguments over the administration’s COVID-19 worker vaccine mandate on Jan. 7, three days before it was originally...
Not so fast: 10 states suing CMS over healthcare worker vax mandate
By
James M. Berklan
Nov 12, 2021
Despite many legal analysts’ view that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ healthcare worker vaccination mandate will clear legal muster, a group of 10 states have filed suit to stop it.
Zimmet warns: PDPM ‘reprieve’ could mean 10 percent cuts next year
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 12, 2021
Providers basking in what appeared to be a major bright spot of the 2022 SNF PPS final pay rule still have plenty to be worried about, one of the industry’s leading payment experts warned Wednesday.
CMS ‘game-changer’ doubles pay on COVID-19 testing at nursing homes
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 16, 2020
High-volume labs that test for COVID-19 at nursing homes are going to reap double the amount of pay under a new policy announced Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
One nursing group condemns, another praises Trump’s new nursing home commission and PPE delivery plans
By
James M. Berklan
May 01, 2020
Just hours after attending an announcement ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, leaders of the two top U.S. nursing home associations gave wildly different views of new federal action...
CMS lowers pay hike for skilled nursing facilities to 1.2%
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 31, 2015
Medicare skilled nursing facilities would get a net 1.2% pay increase — totaling $430 million — in fiscal 2016 under a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late Thursday.
Providers to report COVID infections in 12 hours or face $1k fines, CMS says
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 21, 2020
Nursing homes will face fines of “at least” $1,000 per week for not reporting COVID-19 infections within 12 hours of learning about them, federal regulators said Monday.