The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the country's third-largest health benefits purchaser, dropped a bombshell on its long-term care policyholders—switch LTC policies or deal with a massive rate increase. Read More »
A new report from the Office of Inspector General accuses skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) of misusing their Medicare payments, since more than one-third of SNFs don’t fulfill—or even create—the care plans and discharge goals required for their residents. Read More »
Widely recognized by his bushy beard and somber uniform, former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop became a household name for his anti-smoking campaign. Read More »
The conventional understanding of the assisted living category of senior care is just that—senior care—without a clear explanation of the populations served. Read More »
How many of your residents are on track to exceed the $1,900 payment cap on physical or occupational therapies? We examine the current therapy cap situation, and why it's such a challenge for long-term and post-acute care. Read More »
Florida’s governor, once one of the loudest voices against “ObamaCare,” has done a policy about-face and now supports limited Medicaid expansion in the state. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released its proposals for rate and payment changes for 2014. Seniors may be happy about the Part D drug changes, but insurers aren't as pleased with their end of deal. Read More »
The stunning news earlier this week that Pope Benedict XVI was stepping down as leader of the Catholic Church put all the complicated and often confounding issues surrounding aging in a global spotlight. Read More »
Hospitals made little progress on hospital readmission rates between 2008 and 2010, and some regions have far more readmissions than the national average. Read More »
New trio of commissioners brings a wealth of experience to addressing the serious issues of services and supports for seniors and others with disabilities across the healthcare continuum. Read More »
Modern detergents and new laundering technologies have prompted the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services to revise the laundry notes under F tag 411. Read More »
How much do you know about your GPO? CMS has instituted stricter disclosure rules pertaining to the financial relationships between providers and drug and device manufacturers. Read More »
The Affordable Care Act requires states to have policies to combat fraud, but each state can choose how to do it. A new database shows what each state is doing to combat Medicaid fraud on their home turf. Read More »
For the first time, rheumatoid arthritis will take the healthcare spotlight in a day of education. It is a devastating disease that can afflict both the young and old. Read More »
Hundreds of provider sites are ready to test the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ four new models for restructuring the way episodes of care are paid for. Read More »
A new report finds that an ombudsman’s ability and freedom to represent elders and people with disabilities is curtailed by some state governments. Read More »
The United States is not alone in confronting and caring for the increasing numbers of people with Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. Read More »
The end of the paper trail for Social Security checks is near as the March 31, 2013 deadline for enrolling for a direct deposit to a bank account or debit card approaches. Read More »
MedPAC recommends that Congress vote to keep the special needs plans under Medicare Advantage, although some of the plans perform better than others. Read More »
Another 106 provider organizations make the CMS list of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), bringing the number of covered beneficiaries to more than 4 million. Read More »
Congress is considering new legislation that would erase many of the barriers to telehealth adoption and create better incentives for providers. Read More »
“Respecting your elders” has gained a new meaning in China, where the national elder law has been amended to allow elders to sue their children for not taking care of them. Read More »
No one’s sure what key bargaining chips will be in play at today’s 3 p.m. meeting between President Obama and congressional leaders, but raising the Medicare age isn’t going to be one of them, according to a key Democratic Senator. Read More »
Placing brain health among the current national health priorities--like diabetes and heart disease--can give cognitive health the attention and respect it needs to foster awareness and better prevention habits, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Brain Initiative. Read More »
