Core Medicare and Medicaid operations will not be affected by a federal government shutdown that began today, but a broad range of other federal operations will be affected. The Affordable Care Act itself has largely been funded already and will not be directly affected. ACA-created health insurance exchanges also are live as scheduled. Read More »
After a weekend of squabbling over the federal budget, the Senate has rejected a proposal to delay the Affordable Care Act. With the budget crisis still unsolved in the 11th hour, what would a government shutdown mean for long-term care? Read More »
Farzad Mostashari, MD, has announced that Jacob Reider, MD, will take over as acting national coordinator. The ONC also announced that David Muntz has decided to step down as principal deputy national coordinator for health IT. Read More »
As the state of New York winds down its Assisted Living Month, an association executive relays tips to help communities everywhere provide optimal care and demonstrate their value to residents, prospective residents and their families. Read More »
Highlights of recent updates to the RAI User’s Manual relevant to Section M: Skin Conditions and how these changes help to address the prevention and care of pressure ulcers. Read More »
Direct-care workers, previously exempt from national minimum wage and overtime laws, will now be considered the same as any other employee. Will the change in the compensation laws help or hinder the role of direct-care workers in the expanding field of home care? Read More »
An academic powerhouse and several senior living service providers are joining forces to try to find ways to increase the quality of long-term care while decreasing unnecessary healthcare spending. Read More »
As we observe National Assisted Living Week, let’s celebrate the communities delivering high-quality care for residents. What lessons can we learn from them? Read More »
The informed consent rights of nursing home residents in 43 states may not be fully realized due to weak or nonexistent provisions, according to a nonprofit organization’s new analysis. Read More »
Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) are doing an effective job of rooting out Medicare fraud and billing errors, but federal Medicare agencies need to be more diligent about tracking cases, a new government report says. Read More »
Nursing homes participating in a new initiative may gain competitive advantages, organizers say. In the process, they could collect data helpful in establishing uniform national standards and evidence-based best practices. Read More »
Massachusetts regulators work to close a loophole that allows senior care sites to advertise dementia services even though staff might have no dementia-specific training. Read More »
From medical-model nursing homes to the advent of Medicare/Medicaid to the adoption of the ACA and beyond, caring for our seniors has been a constantly evolving mission and challenge. Read More »
Farzad Mostashari, head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) for the past four years, has announced his resignation. Read More »
Elder abuse can take many forms. A network talk show recently covered the subject in an effort to educate and inform the public of the need for vigilance and oversight. Read More »
Following President Obama’s July 2 announcement to delay the employer insurance benefits mandate required by the ACA, the U.S. House voted today to delay the individual insurance mandate as well. But will the Senate agree? Read More »
After one year, quality benchmarks may be up, but cost savings are not—and nine ACOs have decided to leave the Pioneer ACO program, CMS announced today. Read More »
More than 280 public health experts put their heads together to come up with 30 ways to promote cognitive functioning and address impairment. A new report contains advice for those working with or caring for those with dementia. Read More »
If the employer insurance mandate gets a one-year postponement, so should the individual insurance mandate, says House Speaker John Boehner. Read More »
Washington correspondent Bob Gatty shares his recent conversation with Mark Parkinson, AHCA president/CEO, on LTC's efforts to bring equitable solutions to Washington's challenges. Read More »
The Obama administration changed course on July 2 on a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, when it announced a one-year delay in the ACA’s employer mandate requiring provision of health insurance to employees. Corporations had objected to the mandate, which will now take effect in January 2015. Read More »
As the Fair Labor Standards Act turns 75, a large segment of long-term care’s workforce is the subject of debate concerning minimum wage and overtime laws. Will federal efforts to provide minimum wage and overtime protection undermine a home health agency's core business? Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services launches a completely redesigned website ready to answer questions and assist in planning for this fall’s switch to the Health Insurance Marketplace (formerly Health Insurance Exchange). Read More »
CMS’ plans for payment reform designed to cut costs in the post-acute sector for the FY2014 budget may be a cause of concern for the long-term care industry. Read More »
Were the residents' eggs served runny or undercooked? Ambiguity in language convinces an Appeals Court to reverse a noncompliance ruling in a recent case where CMS had accused a nursing home of poor food preparation. Read More »
New CMS guidelines take a deeper look at discharge planning, clarifying who is responsible for what at the time of discharge and why discharge planning is a key to reducing 30-day readmissions. Read More »
CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announces a significantly smaller and more-focused project list for Round Two of the funding awards. Read More »
