Ask the legal expert … about protections for pregnant workers
By
Norris Cunningham
Apr 12, 2024
I read about a new federal law to protect pregnant workers. Are existing protections in discrimination law not good enough?
Ask the legal expert … about disputed citations
By
Norris Cunningham
Mar 06, 2023
Q: CMS has a new policy of publishing citations against nursing homes during appeals. Why would they include non-final citations?
Ask the legal expert … about the Talevski case
By
Norris Cunningham
Sep 12, 2023
Why is everyone so concerned about the Supreme Court case allowing resident rights cases against state-operated facilities?
Drug diversion, a series: How to prevent and spot it
By
Norris Cunningham
Angela Rinehart
Jul 19, 2021
Drug diversion occurs when prescription medicines are obtained or used illegally. While diversion has always been a concern, without question, COVID-19 certainly increased personal stress and pressure...
Stricter audits may be on the horizon from the OIG
By
Norris Cunningham
Kennedy Bunch
Devin Zimmerman
Jan 11, 2023
Long-term care facilities and providers should brace themselves for what may be an uptick in enforcement activity from Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) in the coming year. In 2023, the U.S. Department...
Ask the legal expert about PHE waivers
By
Norris Cunningham
Dec 05, 2022
Doesn’t the lifting of nurse aide training waivers put facilities back to square one in their efforts to overcome serious staffing issues?
Ban on arbitration of sexual assault, harassment disputes will hit LTC
By
Norris Cunningham
Barb Killian
Feb 28, 2022
Congress passed H.R. 4445 on February 7, 2022. The bill, titled “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021,” is important to long-term care facilities that enter...
Ask the legal expert: What form of proof must an employee provide when claiming a religious exemption...
By
Norris Cunningham
Oct 01, 2021
What form of proof must an employee provide when claiming a religious exemption from an employer’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate?
HHS enforces early COVID-19 infection control penalties despite ambiguities
By
Norris Cunningham
Angela Rinehart
Jan 21, 2022
Infection control penalties upheld against the facility with the first known COVID-19 outbreak reinforce need for implementation – not just policy.
The elephant in the room: Are you prepared for the next emergency?
By
Angela Rinehart
Norris Cunningham
Sep 30, 2022
Historically, emergency preparedness programs in long-term care facilities have been less prioritized, with facilities understandably focusing on patient care and operations. But with the pandemic...