The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging has proposed a rule to create federal guidelines for long-term care ombudsman programs, to create more uniformity and address questions around ombudsman responsibilities, information disclosure, complaint resolution and conflicts of interest.
May 17, 2013
The federal government is ramping up efforts to reduce the number of disabled people in nursing homes through interagency initiatives. While many disabled people have already been moved out of nursing homes, a sharper focus is needed because the aging of the baby boom generation will increase the number of seniors with disabilities, the Education Department said in a Federal Register article.
The Department of Health and Human Services has updated its national standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), providing an enhanced tool for long-term care providers serving increasingly diverse populations.
April 01, 2013
The federal government will pay 100% of the Medicaid costs for certain newly eligible beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed in a final rule last Friday.
Genesis HealthCare will enhance care for deaf individuals, including providing interpreters, as part of a recent settlement agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
February 25, 2013
The Department of Health and Human Services will award $285 million for 25 states to innovate healthcare delivery and payment systems, the agency announced on Feb. 21. In many of these states, long-term care providers will take part in newly established multi-payer groups, such as accountable care organizations.
A stolen laptop has resulted in an Idaho hospice organization paying the Department of Health and Human Services $50,000.
February 01, 2013
Golden Living announced in January it reached a settlement totaling more than $613,000 with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice and the state of Georgia.
January 29, 2013
As they work to comply with the omnibus Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rule published on Friday, long-term care providers can refer to a sample business associate agreement released recently by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
A facility that has proposed to offer grocery store gift cards in return for health screenings or clinical services will be sanctioned, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced.
Golden Living announced Wednesday it has reached a settlement deal totaling more than $613,000 with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice and the state of Georgia.
The Department of Health and Human Services released new rule proposals Thursday, including one that calls for a 26.5% statutorily required pay cut for Medicare physicians in 2013
Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have threatened to subpoena federal health officials to gain access to public relations contracts related to the Affordable Care Act.
August 28, 2012
Healthcare providers will have an extra year to become compliant with ICD-10 coding standards and will be issued standardized identification codes, according to a final rule issued by Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.
Federal officials need to provide clearer guidance and offer a more streamlined protocol for providers willing to self-disclose Medicare overpayments, a leading long-term care group says.
July 27, 2012
A new federal fraud-fighting initiative will apply increased scrutiny to provider health claims submitted to both government and private payers, government officials announced Thursday.
The National Governor's Association begins its annual meeting in Virginia today with the group asking federal authorities for clarification on expanding Medicaid in their states.
July 10, 2012
Many nursing facilities are not compliant with federal regulations governing residents who take atypical antipsychotic medications, a federal review released Monday reveals.
The Department of Health and Human Services missed roughly half of its legal deadlines for implementing the Affordable Care Act, a new report from a right-leaning advocacy group asserts.
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced its newest round of grant recipients under its Health Care Innovation Awards.
With healthcare waste taking up to a third of all healthcare costs, reducing waste and fraud remain primary goals of the Office of the Inspector General, the head of the agency said Monday.
The federal government should take advantage of Affordable Care Act funds to improve the coordination and quality of care for the chronically ill, a new report recommends.
A bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers introduced a resolution Tuesday in support of the Obama administration's goal of finding a treatment for Alzheimer's by 2025.
April 23, 2012
The Affordable Care Act will help Medicare save over $200 billion through 2016, according to government actuaries. But questions as to Medicare's long-term solvency remain, another report from Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees states.
If the Supreme Court deems the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, the jobs of hundreds of federal workers hired to implement policies that affect nursing homes will be at stake, new reports suggest.
More communication is needed between Medicare and Medicaid's respective program integrity officials, a new report suggests.
February 29, 2012
Intensive lobbying paid off for assisted living groups vying for inclusion in the national Alzheimer's taskforce plan. The most recent taskforce plan includes assisted living in its strategy to assess and address the housing needs of those with Alzheimer's disease.
February 23, 2012
The federal government on Wednesday unveiled the first draft of its national action plan against Alzheimer's disease. Building on the framework published in January, the draft released by the Department of Health and Human Services yesterday proposes the creation of registries to better direct Alzheimer's sufferers into clinical trials.
February 10, 2012
Criminal background checks have not been found to significantly limit the quantity or quality of candidates for nursing home jobs, a top nursing home advocate says. A recent government survey of nursing home administrators paints an accurate picture of what once was forecast as a contentious issues, LeadingAge Director of Advocacy Information Barbara Gay told McKnight's Wednesday.
February 07, 2012
As required by the Affordable Care Act, the National Quality Forum convened the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) to develop a coordinated performance measurement approach across PAC and LTC settings.
