The tantalizing tale of a bow tie, a fedora and the SNF VBP
By
Joel VanEaton
Sep 06, 2024
I am an amateur thespian and have been involved as such at our local community theater. Last Christmas, I was cast as George Bailey in a live radio production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” To be...
A monster final rule with MDS teeth
By
Joel VanEaton
Aug 06, 2024
I recently spent a relaxing week’s vacation at the beach. I’m not a, “sit on the beach and worship the sun” kind of guy. I’m of Irish descent and, unfortunately, my fair skin is sun...
Game planning emerges for new SNF PPS pay rule
By
Jessica R. Towhey
James M. Berklan
Aug 01, 2024
As disapproval about the 2025 skilled nursing Medicare pay rate increase continued to rise Thursday, long-term care providers and their advisors began devising coping strategies for some of the less flashy...
CMS releases more new MDS draft details; more changes to come?
By
James M. Berklan
Jan 04, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services kept a pre-New Year’s resolution by releasing a second draft of the new MDS tool that will be used to assess new residents starting Oct. 1, 2023.
Providers worried about CMS pace on new MDS materials
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 09, 2022
Skilled nursing operators were happily surprised in September with an early draft of MDS revisions, but ever since it’s been a slog getting more information.
Providers grateful for certain opportunities in proposed 2025 Medicare pay rule
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 02, 2024
Even though debate will continue about how much Medicare reimbursement should rise next year, there’s little disagreement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services got at least a few things right...
Do you know how to play SPADEs? MDS starts a new game
By
Joel VanEaton
Nov 28, 2022
Do you like playing cards? I do. I find it enjoyable to gather friends together for an evening of card playing. I would be lying if I didn’t say that there was no competition involved. Mostly though,...
Care teams now at risk as MDS changes roll out
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 28, 2023
It’s been widely billed as the biggest change to the Minimum Data Set in more than a decade, and on Sunday, version 1.18.11 of the MDS 3.0 finally kicks in.
CMS makes 60 changes to finalize new MDS playbook
By
James M. Berklan
Aug 25, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final version of the new Resident Assessment Instrument manual Thursday .
A summer correlation, fireflies and the MDS
By
Joel VanEaton
Jul 09, 2024
This time of year, I love to sit on my back porch and watch the fireflies dance in the twilight. Something from my childhood, I suppose. This year they seem particularly bright. Almost like fireworks...