Not only does a SNF survey cause long-term care staff concern, but residents witness the process firsthand to see how the care they receive is evaluated. Read More »
As promised Feb. 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publicly announced changes to the five-star rating system used on its Nursing Home Compare website Feb. 20. Some organizations representing aging services providers are expressing concerns. Read More »
This month’s annual meeting of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology featured a keynote by HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell announcing the agency’s plan to increase the adoption of health IT. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make three main changes to the calculations used for the Nursing Home Compare website beginning with the information publicly reported for February, the agency announced in a Feb. 12 call to providers. Read More »
The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition says the MAC Transparency Act, if passed, would improve payment transparency within the Medicare prescription drug program. Read More »
When care and assistance is needed, where can low-income seniors go to have the services they need delivered in a safe, secure and affordable environment? Read More »
Quality-of-care issues exist in all long-term care settings, but they are especially pronounced for those with advanced dementia, according to health economist David Grabowski, PhD, of Harvard. He details several potential opportunities to address the issues. Read More »
Use of antipsychotic medications in long-stay nursing home residents has experienced a greater-than-expected decrease, according to new data. Read More »
Effective immediately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will cover lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography for Medicare beneficiaries—with certain conditions. Read More »
July is the target for the start of the publication of star ratings on the Home Health Compare website, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read More »
The 2016 federal budget announced by President Barack Obama on Monday is a mixed bag for senior housing and services providers, according to several organizations representing them. Read More »
The focus areas of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging mesh well with the goals of the 2016 federal budget proposed Feb. 2 by President Barack Obama, the conference’s executive director says. Read More »
AMDA–The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine has recommended sub-topics within three of the four previously identified areas of focus for the White House Conference on Aging. Read More »
Providers will be paid by the federal government based on care quality rather than care quantity under new, measurable goals announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monday. Read More »
Could the Affordable Care Act lead to changes that will affect skilled nursing, hospice and home healthcare and lower Medicare spending? Authors of a new analysis think it could. Read More »
A new report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Urban Institute proposes changes to Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services payments to discourage skilled nursing facilities from “furnish[ing] therapy for financial gain.” Read More »
When it comes to quality and efficiency measures, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should focus on population-level outcome measures instead of clinical process measures, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission said in a recent letter. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has agreed to reform its hospice payment system by taking five steps outlined in a new report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Read More »
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn B. Tavenner will leave her position in February, according to media reports. Read More »
2015 is the 50th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act and the 80th anniversary of Social Security. Provider association leaders recently discussed with Long-Term Living what needs to happen to ensure these programs' future success. Read More »
The three-day inpatient hospital stay requirement for Medicare coverage of Part A skilled nursing care benefits could be eliminated under a bill reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read More »
Minimum wage and overtime standards will not apply to home healthcare workers hired by private agencies after a federal district court judge decision to vacate a U.S. Department of Labor rule. Read More »
The American Health Care Association has launched a campaign to educate lawmakers on the value of skilled nursing providers in advance of discussions related to the Medicare sustainable growth rate. Read More »
When is a deal too good to be legal? Receiving discounts from vendors/suppliers may, in some instances, be considered "kickbacks" if you're not careful. Read More »
The $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last month contains several provisions related to healthcare. Read More »
