The votes are in: The Obama Administration now has four more years to further the healthcare initiatives begun under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. So, what happens next? Long-term care leaders, providers and industry experts weigh in on the implications of President Obama's reelection for the U.S. healthcare system and, specifically, the LTC industry. Read More »
An emergency response meeting held by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services answers some questions on coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York, but many issues remain for long-term and acute care facilities in other states. Read More »
Are transitions of care on your mind? You’re not alone. Read our on-site coverage of the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC) Midwest Regional Summit, held this month in Cleveland, for tips and free tools to improve your TOC efforts. Read More »
A national learning collaborative, launched at this week’s LeadingAge conference, is focused on creating new financial and service strategies for senior living. Read More »
CMS’ new program to make hospitals financially accountable for excessive readmissions stumbles at the starting gate, as CMS issues a document to correct errors in the final rule. Read More »
As the presidential debates begin this week, Medicare is predicted to be a hot-button topic. One private foundation released a report that explores the differences and similarities between the healthcare plans of both presidential candidates. Read More »
As concerns over hospital readmissions grow, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a program to encourage SNFs and state agencies to collaborate on avoidable conditions and the costs they incur. Read More »
Five of the leading U.S. healthcare organizations got a prickly letter from the Department of Justice and Health & Human Services Monday: Stop misusing documentation and electronic medical record technology systems for fraudulent billing purposes, or else. Read More »
The United States isn’t the only country experiencing explosive growth within the senior demographic. As the elderly population and the costs of senior care rise across the globe, other countries are weighing the U.S. long-term care experience. How will they handle the need for expanded senior services? Read More »
The United States isn’t the only country experiencing explosive growth within the senior demographic. As the elderly population and the costs of senior care rise across the globe, other countries are weighing the U.S. long-term care experience. Read More »
A bipartisan Congressional group introduces the Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2012, moving ahead to formalize reimbursement for care transitions. Read More »
Medicare providers could be facing a $11 billion reduction in reimbursements if the government's sequestration process goes forward, according to an OMB report released today. Read More »
Five years of data from Center for Medicare & Medicaid’s largest experiment in performance-based reimbursement are mixed, but physician groups succeeded in slashing the costs for dual-eligibles. Read More »
In a milestone report released today, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) analyzes why the U.S. healthcare system needs a new business-based attitude, and why it struggles to learn from its own data. Read More »
As Medicare and Medicaid programs grow, the insurance market is spending billions to get a larger slice of the government-backed healthcare markets. Read More »
The Department of Health & Human Services has released the LTC chapter in the national plan to reduce infections: C. difficile and urinary tract infections are the first of many high-priority targets. Read More »
What tops your retirement wish list? Most retirees would gladly trade the dream of a beach house in Florida for lower healthcare and prescription drug costs, as well as more education on financial planning, an insurer survey shows. Read More »
As of July 1, 89 new accountable care organizations (ACOs) began serving 1.2 million people with Medicare in 40 states and Washington, D.C., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced today. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed policy changes that would increase reimbursement rates for end-stage renal disease services. Performance data collected next year would affect the payment rates starting in 2015. Read More »
Leaders digest: So the ACA stays. What now? Long-Term Living’s editors speak with leaders in the long-term and post-acute care industry the day the Supreme Court decision is announced. Read More »
BREAKING NEWS: Supreme Court has decided the Affordable Care Act will stay in place. The majority voted to keep individual mandate and the right for Congress to offer funding for state reform programs. Read More »
Some insurers aren't waiting for the Supreme Court's decision to show how they feel about some of the reforms within the Affordable Care Act. Read More »
Solving the problem of hospital readmissions will take much more than follow-up calls at home. Each link in the care chain has quality improvements to make, say health IT experts at the 2012 LTPAC Health IT Summit. Read More »
NASL’s Cynthia Morton shares insights on Congressional legislation and CMS innovation projects with attendees at this week’s eHDS User Group meeting. Read More »
A report issued by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius credits the Medicare competitive bidding program for saving $202 million for people on Medicare who require durable medical equipment. Read More »
More than 1.1 million beneficiaries are receiving care from providers participating in Medicare shared savings initiatives. CMS says it is reviewing more than 150 applications from ACOs seeking to enter the program in July. Read More »
The executives surveyed said their organizations do not have a comprehensive understanding of the various CMS programs and their financial implications, even after publication of final rules. Read More »
