The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that delays enforcement of the “two midnight rule” for certain hospital stays as well as creates programs to establish readmission-related measures for skilled nursing facilities and rewards for those facilities that meet them. Read More »
From courtship to a permanent union, hospitals and long-term care facilities have a lot to gain by working together. A look at the evolution of the AC/PAC relationship. Read More »
New research suggests how health policymakers and caregivers can better coordinate the transitions of care that find 22 percent of older adults moving from and among hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care communities and their homes. Read More »
Addressing reasons for staff turnover could help ensure quality and cost control in your facility while improving the lives of your employees. One initiative offers some solutions. What would you add? Read More »
Long-term care provider associations express appreciation for the proposed 2015 budget’s support of some senior housing and services but disappointment in potential program cuts. Read More »
The agency will seek additional input before implementing several controversial proposals affecting the Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Part D prescription drug program. Read More »
The Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly model of senior care reaches a milestone as an alternative to traditional skilled nursing homes service models. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is eyeing variations in treatments for those in post-acute care settings with similar medical conditions in an effort to mitigate negative clinical and financial effects. The scrutiny is call to action for LT/PAC operators. Read More »
The backlog of cases appealing audit decisions and payment denials has cause CMS to make a radical move: Hit the pause button on the audit program until contractors can catch up. Read More »
An expert in hypertension, congestive heart failure and gene therapy for vascular disease has been named the next president of the advisory body the Institute of Medicine. Read More »
Government agencies, drug companies and disease-focused nonprofit organizations are joining forces to develop new methods of diagnosing and treating diseases more quickly and at less cost. Read More »
In the first installment of our series on achieving Quality Assurance Performance Improvement, Nell Griffin, LPN, EdM, a quality improvement facilitator and TeamSTEPPS trainer, explains the importance of leadership engagement, responsibility and accountability through proactive care practices and administrative policies. Read More »
Seniors transferring from nursing homes to home- and community-based services are at 40 percent greater risk of “potentially preventable” hospitalizations, according to a newly published study. Read More »
The United States spends more money for care provided at skilled nursing facilities and continuing care retirement communities than for care provided through home healthcare agencies, according to a new report, but spending for home healthcare is growing at a faster rate. Read More »
The United States has not experienced the lower mortality rates and higher life expectancy normally associated with higher health-related spending per capita, according to a recent report. Read More »
After a mixed year of progress and stumblings, accountable care organizations are expected to surge as a care model in 2014, according to a year-over-year trends report. Read More »
Congress may be ready to do away with the sustainable growth rate (SGR), re-fix the “doc fix” and ditch therapy caps, but will skilled nursing become the scapegoat for the costs? Read More »
The National Council on Aging is “disappointed” that Congress has not acted to make permanent a program that pays Part B premiums for some Medicare recipients, but the organization remains hopeful that the program will be made permanent in 2014. Read More »
A new program developed by AMDA teaches long-term care staffers and doctors how to recognize, assess and treat symptoms of dementia while minimizing the use of antispychotic drugs. Read More »
The Office of Inspector General wants hospitalization rates to be added to CMS's nursing home quality rankings. But will the numbers tell the real story or just muddy the waters? Read More »
Continuing issues with a government website mean that, for now, small employers will need to go through an insurance company, agent or broker to enroll in medical plans through the new federal marketplace. Read More »
Under a proposed bill, SNFs meeting certain criteria based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality ratings automatically would qualify to waive the prior hospitalization requirement for Medicare coverage of Part A skilled nursing care benefits. Read More »
