Top leaders in healthcare policy discuss how to change the culture of dying to one driven by residents instead of physicians—and how to find more insurance models to pay for hospice and palliative care. Read More »
Patients’ time under “observation status” would count toward the requisite three-day hospital stay for coverage of skilled nursing care under legislation introduced by four senators. Read More »
The Bundling and Coordinating Post-Acute Care (BACPAC) Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in an effort to coordinate care delivery and realize savings related to Medicare beneficiaries. Read More »
The government’s healthcare fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2014 from individuals and companies that attempted to defraud federal health programs serving seniors and others, according to a new report. Read More »
Defining the work week and expanding caregiver duties were two of the issues on the table as the National Association for Home Care & Hospice March on Washington took place March 22 to 25. Read More »
The quality of manufacture and efficacy may be called into question when the country of origin is a mystery to the user. Made in U.S.A. Foundation stresses the importance of labeling medications and supplements. Read More »
After years of failed efforts, a congressional bill proposing a permanent solution to the "doc-fix" problem is gaining the support of one of long-term care's largest and most powerful organizations. Read More »
Changes to Medicare proposed in President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget would decrease federal spending by $240 billion over the 10-year projection period, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Read More »
The Medicare program could have saved $4.1 billion over 6 years if it had reimbursed for swing-bed services at critical access hospital using the lower skilled nursing facility prospective payment system rates paid for similar services at alternative facilities, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Read More »
Senate and House leaders have introduced legislation to replace the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula tied to physician compensation, but organizations representing aging services providers are expressing concerns related to Medicare therapy caps and payment cuts to providers of post-acute care. Read More »
The Assisted Living Federation of America responsed to a benefits eligibility rule proposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you’d like to do so, you have until March 24. Read More »
Two groups representing rehabilitation providers are expressing disappointment in MedPAC’s recent report to Congress, which recommends providing comparable reimbursement for rehabilitation provided at inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and nursing homes. Read More »
April will be the next opportunity for Florida nursing homes to submit certificate of need applications to the state, which in February ended a 2001–2014 moratorium that had been created by the Florida legislature. Read More »
A bill approved by the House would require hospitals to notify Medicare beneficiaries of their outpatient status within 36 hours after the time of their classification or, if sooner, on discharge. Read More »
Government officials and others from around the world have gathered in Switzerland to discuss the global problems posed by dementia at a World Health Organization meeting. Read More »
In September, Niles Godes became the first senior vice president of housing and capital for LeadingAge. Long-Term Living recently spoke with him about his role and why this work is especially important to senior housing and service providers now. Read More »
Alzheimer’s and memory care will be the areas of senior care that will experience the most growth in 2015, according to senior housing and services leaders responding to a new survey. Read More »
The Pharmacy Quality Alliance and AllazoHealth have formed a formal research partnership to study and improve industry-wide medication adherence metrics. Read More »
Five groups advocating for residents of nursing homes say they “strongly support” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ announced changes to its five-star rating system of the homes. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it has found little evidence to support or refute the possibility that the use of quality measures has had unintended consequences in nursing homes and other settings. Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has formed the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network to help the federal government move toward greater use of alternative payment models. Read More »
Four members of Congress have launched the Assisting Caregivers Today Caucus to focus on issues related to family caregiving, and the American Health Care Association has become a charter member. Read More »
A California nursing home is the first skilled nursing facility in the country to receive certification for memory care under the Joint Commission’s new program. Read More »
Restoring Medicaid funding, improving Medicaid managed long-term care and protecting seniors from unexpected medical bills are the three legislative priorities set by the Florida Health Care Association for 2015, the organization has announced. Read More »
