Medicare appeals at the administrative law judge level will be suspended for two years due to backlog,...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 17, 2014
Long-term care providers filing to have a Medicare claims appeal heard by an administrative law judge will not have the case assigned to a judge for at least two years, according to the Office of Medicare...
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...
Providers could be slapped with monetary penalties for slow response to document requests under OIG proposal
By
Tim Mullaney
May 13, 2014
Long-term care providers are facing an expanded list of infractions that could trigger civil monetary penalties, including slow response to document requests. The proposed regulation from the Department...
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.
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.
House members request $200 million to increase long-term care, geriatric medicine workforce
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 11, 2014
To meet an increasingly urgent need, Congress should earmark $200 million to expand the number of geriatric care workers. This was the case that 26 House members made in a recent letter Appropriations...
House bill proposes safe harbor from medical malpractice litigation, could remove LTC liability actions...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 03, 2014
A bill in the House of Representatives would create a safe harbor system to reduce malpractice lawsuits against Medicare and Medicaid providers, and it would give providers the right to request state-level...
Senior living company can pay referral fees for new residents despite kickback concerns, OIG advisory...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 23, 2014
A nonprofit senior housing and care provider can continue to pay an agency for referring new residents, despite concerns related to anti-kickback laws, according to a newly released government opinion.
Long-term care leaders support passage of budget deal
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 12, 2013
Prominent long-term care provider associations registered support for a bipartisan budget deal being considered by Congress this week, despite the fact that it would extend a period of reduced Medicare...