The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is finally set to begin a three-year project to reduce fraud and errors by using RACs to check Medicare claims before they move to the payment stage. Read More »
With increased government oversight and efforts to find inappropriately paid Medicare funds, facility staff may end a Medicare stay prematurely for fear of being audited and having their claim denied. What is the key to balancing provision of skilled care and avoiding auditor take-backs? 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 »
Many changes are ahead for employers concerning employee health insurance benefits. Some of the rules will begin as early as this fall. Nancy Taylor, co-chair, Health & FDA Business Practice at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLC, discusses the key strategies employers should consider in preparing for compliance. Read More »
U.S. hospitals are making little progress in reducing patient readmissions despite government initiatives and looming financial penalties, according to Medicare data released Thursday, reports Kaiser Health News. Read More »
A stunning 99 percent of nursing home records examined by the OIG failed to meet one or more of the federal guidelines for assessing and documenting the use of antipsychotic drugs. 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 »
Fire, flood, tornado, earthquake and tidal waves are just a few of the ways nature asserts itself to remind us of its power. Are you prepared to care and protect your residents if you get in Mother Nature’s way? The OIG doesn’t think so according to a recent study. Read More »
In the aftermath of last week’s 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), long-term care providers are taking stock of the far-reaching ramifications for an industry in transition. 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 »
With the federal government’s escalating war on healthcare fraud and abuse, long-term care operators are on high alert in their efforts to be compliant in documentation and reporting. A leading educator pounds home the need for documentation and compliance. Read More »
HHS and the Office of Health Reform announced today that customers will get money back from insurers who didn’t meet 80/20 rule. Payors will also have to explain why they didn't meet the mandate. 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 »
AANAC’s Judi Kulus provides a roadmap through the maze of recent MDS 3.0 updates and errata releases, while pointing out some potential pitfalls in handling resident interviews, assessments, file error correction and queries to CMS. Read More »
A proposed amendment to pending legislation would require federal regulators to issue guidelines requiring nursing homes to get permission from patients or designated advocates before administering antipsychotics. Read More »
With approximately 2.5 million people dying each year, the need for quality palliative and hospice services is at an all-time high. There is an increased focus on palliative and hospice care by the public and private sectors to ensure that high-quality end-of-life care is available to our aging population. Read More »
Omnicare, the nation’s second largest LTC pharmacy provider, has agreed to a $50 million civil settlement with the Department of Justice following a Drug Enforcement Agency investigation of complaints Read More »
Abbott Labs reaches settlement for its marketing of the anti-seizure drug Depakote for conditions for which it had not received Food and Drug Administration approval. Read More »
When assisted living is no longer the appropriate care setting for an individual, a “move out” may be necessary. Regulations regarding resident eviction reasons and notifications vary from state to state. Read More »
Many LTC facilities and hospices across the nation will be affected by the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG’s) work plan underway for 2012. Here’s an overview of key initiatives. Read More »
OSHA’s program, a National Emphasis Program, is aimed at reducing workplace injuries specifically in long-term care, and will cover nursing homes, residential mental retardation facilities and continuing care retirement communities. Read More »
The National Labor Relations Board was issued an injunction delaying implementation of a rule requiring employers to post a notice in the workplace informing employees of their right to unionize. Read More »
