Policy

AHCA/NCAL conference report: ‘Our industry is under attack’

Rat Pack tribute? Check. Cheesy Elvis impersonator? Check. Scantily clad showgirls? But of course. It’s conference week in Las Vegas for the Read More »

AHCA/NCAL conference report: Medicaid crisis demands provider action

Medicaid is in transition—many would say crisis—and skilled nursing providers attending a panel discussion Monday at the 62nd Annual AHCA/NCAL Read More »

Cuts, market volatility rattle providers

For long-term care providers, summer 2011 will be remembered for a rollercoaster ride of congressional clashes over the U.S. debt ceiling, Read More »

Feeling the fire of SNF PPS rule

The final SNF PPS rule for FY2012 published in August will cause all operational professionals to stop and think about their implementation plans for Read More »

AHCA/NCAL honor quality care

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living announced the recipients of the organizations’ 2011 National Quality Read More »

National MDS 3.0 training call recap

Wow, we are closing in on one year of using the MDS 3.0 and are finally getting the “hang of it” with all the changes that occurred with its Read More »

Does anyone out there care?

Janet Gerber, RN-BC Mathematically, I have always “assumed” that if you were dividing a whole into “quarters” that would mean you would have four Read More »

Final rule cuts deep

Bob Gatty The long-term care industry is now facing an 11.1 percent Medicare payment reduction to SNFs for 2012 in new rates to be implemented Read More »

Medicare cuts will cause pain—but for whom?

October 1, 2011, is the day that an 11.1 percent reduction in Medicare payments to SNFs is implemented. It’s when we really begin feeling the pain. Read More »

The IDT in care planning

Judah L. Ronch, PhD In a recent draft report on the work of The Food and Dining Clinical Standards Task Force, (convened by the Pioneer Network Read More »

It’s time for a look-back period

Everyone needs a good sounding board. For many nurses, that forum is oftentimes a listserv. In commemoration of last year's big MDS package, Read More »

Take control of incontinence

Facility staff empathizes with the pain and discomfort of the resident with incontinence, but they frequently do not have the opportunity to discuss Read More »

A year later: LTC providers speak out on MDS 3.0

This time last year skilled nursing facilities across the nation were in the throes of gearing up for the implementation of MDS 3.0 in October. Read More »

Lessons from Pioneer 2011: Neighborhood Nurses and obtrusive noise

St. Charles, Missouri, was the site of the 2011 annual convention for the Pioneer Network. This was the fourth Pioneer event I have attended; I had Read More »

What your team needs to know about the COT OMRA

At the end of July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the “Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Read More »

ACOs update: Three likely payments

And now we wait. The comment period for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed rules on Read More »

Aligning benefits for dual eligibles

Directed by provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the new health reform law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a Read More »

Sweating out proposed Medicare/Medicaid cuts

The heat is on both literally and figuratively as we move into the height of summer. Healthcare providers have sweated out weeks of speculation over Read More »

Life safety = quality of life

Flooding, tornados, hurricanes, fires and terrorism—we live in volatile times in a volatile world. As I traveled last week to the annual National Read More »

CMS to SNFs: Stop overusing dashes in the MDS

A memo released this month by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urges nursing home providers to monitor their use of dashes in Read More »

The comment period ended, but the story on ACOs is far from over

Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ended its comment period on the Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) proposed rules this past Read More »

Fighting for the interests of skilled nursing providers

Cynthia Morton pulls no punches when talking about the bum rap long-term care gets in the never-ending battle for healthcare dollars. As executive Read More »

CMS considers $4 billion SNF payment reduction

Bob Gatty Since last October, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have been paid by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at an Read More »

Nursing care quality and the False Claims Act

Jason E. Bring, Esq The federal False Claims Act (FCA) permits private persons known as “relators” to file a form of civil action against private Read More »

Elder abuse: Zero tolerance

Legendary actor Mickey Rooney's testimony during a Senate hearing last winter about alleged abuse suffered at the hands of a family member triggered Read More »

CMS proposes the Change of Therapy OMRA

The long-term care industry has wide eyes and an ear to the ground following the initial publishing of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Read More »

My Top 10 Movements in Long-Term Care

Long-term care (LTC) does not lack for crusaders. Although the progressive forces in this field are little known to the general public, which tends Read More »

Creating a compliance/QA culture

Tamar Abell Government investigations of today's 17,000 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are increasing and, unfortunately, as a result so are Read More »

Update: Hazardous waste risks

Pharmaceutical and hazardous wastes are ever-present management challenges for long-term care (LTC) administrators. They are regulated by several Read More »

Introducing: Mark Parkinson…

Left to right: Mark Parkinson’s official headshot with the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living Read More »