First facility assessment deadline leaves gaping questions about surveyor intent
By
Kimberly Marselas
Aug 12, 2024
After three months of preparation, skilled nursing providers across the country were required late last week to complete their first enhanced facility assessment.
New SNF payment rule met with ‘disgust,’ complaints of ‘overreach’
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 31, 2024
Critics wasted little time expressing their displeasure with the government’s final nursing home payment rule for fiscal 2025 after it was released late Wednesday afternoon.
Flaw in staffing mandate may push financial decisions ahead of clinical issues as admissions criteria:...
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 25, 2024
Trying to maintain specific staffing levels included in a new federal mandate may lead to a financial “seesaw” for operators, with efforts to admit more residents constantly tempered by the fear of...
Some providers ‘hurting terribly’ as CMS schizophrenia audit penalties drag on
By
Kimberly Marselas
Aug 06, 2024
A year and a half after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began auditing thousands of nursing homes for inappropriate schizophrenia diagnoses, providers are raising concerns that the quality...
BREAKING: CMS increases abilities to fine nursing homes, hikes Medicare pay by 4.2 percent
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 31, 2024
Nursing homes will be getting a 4.2% Medicare Part A pay raise under the fiscal 2025 final pay rule issued Wednesday. Providers also will be facing a more aggressive fines system.
Docs, therapists to see pay cut but caregivers score in ’25 physician pay rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jul 10, 2024
Doctors, therapists and others billing under the physician fee schedule would see an average 2.93% reduction in Medicare pay next year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed Wednesday.
Lawmakers say CMS should ban Medicare Advantage’s use of AI to deny care
By
Josh Henreckson
Jun 26, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should consider banning artificial intelligence from being used to deny Medicare Advantage coverage pending a “systematic review,” a group of 49 congressional...
BREAKING: Supreme Court’s Chevron ruling could defang CMS
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 28, 2024
The Supreme Court this morning threw out a long-standing doctrine that has given regulatory agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, broad discretion to set rules for the entities...
CMS sends update on $75M nursing home recruitment campaign, but providers’ concerns linger
By
Josh Henreckson
Jun 13, 2024
CMS’ admitted lack of a plan thus far for the $75 million it intends to use to spur development of more nursing home workers is further puncturing providers’ hopes for helpful change.
CMS provides first look at shorter, Risk-Based Survey process
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 04, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday revealed initial information about a potential “Risk-Based Survey” option that could be available to some of the nation’s best performing...