Are nursing homes headed for an 80% direct-spend rule?
By
Kimberly Marselas
Dec 11, 2023
A national union on Friday skewed comments made by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to imply federal regulators had proposed an 80% direct care spending requirement for the nursing home...
Aduhelm’s costs: Medicare recipients won’t get premium reduction until 2023
By
Alicia Lasek (f3)
Jun 01, 2022
A cost overestimate that bumped up Medicare premiums for seniors in 2022 will not be corrected until the following year. The spike is tied to coverage for Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm.
Reforms could start sooner than one year, Becerra says in ‘monumental’ nursing home meeting
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 01, 2022
The federal government will meet or exceed a goal of implementing key nursing home reform measures within a year, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday.
CMS will reveal intent to cover Alzheimer’s drug — or not — tomorrow
By
Amy Novotney
Jan 11, 2022
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on Monday ordered Medicare to reassess a big premium increase facing millions of seniors this year, after an expensive new Alzheimer’s drug...
Senators to HHS: Release Provider Relief ‘without further delay’
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 31, 2021
The Department of Health and Human Services must release unobligated money in federal Provider Relief Funds “without further delay” to prevent further financial ruin for struggling healthcare providers,...
HHS leader ‘absolutely supportive’ of permanent telehealth expansions
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 29, 2021
Telehealth expansions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic got a strong vote of approval to be made permanent after the leader of the Health and Human Services Department expressed his “absolute support”...
Operators might get more time to spend Provider Relief Funding
By
Danielle Brown
May 13, 2021
Long-term care providers are hopeful for a much sought after extension to the spending deadline for Provider Relief Funds following comments from a top federal health official on Wednesday.
Clinical briefs for Friday, March 19
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 19, 2021
New HHS Secretary Becerra considered ‘friend of long-term care causes’ … U.K. nursing home staff passed B117 COVID variants to residents in early winter, study finds … 1 in 3 older thyroid disease...
HHS nominee emphasizes COVID-19 data reporting
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 25, 2021
President Joe Biden’s pick to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services stressed the importance of states accurately reporting COVID-19 data — with an emphasis on nursing...
More COVID funding for nursing homes a ‘top priority’ for Biden’s pick to be HHS chief
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 24, 2021
Additional COVID-19 relief funding for nursing home providers would be a “top priority” for President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.