Medicaid

Lawmakers should weigh costs associated with dementia when coordinating care for Medicare beneficiaries, analysis suggests

May 17, 2012

As policymakers seek to integrate care for dual eligibles, they need to consider the cost of treating beneficiaries with dementia, new data suggests.
 

House passes spending cut bill containing Medicare spending cuts

May 11, 2012

The House on Thursday passed spending cut legislation that included a 2% cut in Medicare spending.
 

Final rule reduces regulatory burden for long-term care facilities

May 11, 2012

A new rule eases the regulatory burden on providers serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and has the potential to save the healthcare system $100 million in the first year.
 

Some Medicaid doctors to receive reimbursement rates that equal Medicare's

May 09, 2012

Physicians providing primary care services to Medicaid beneficiaries will see a federal payment increase to bring Medicaid payments in line with those of Medicare payments, government officials announced Wednesday.
 

HHS names coordinated care innovation winners

May 09, 2012

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced its newest round of grant recipients under its Health Care Innovation Awards.
 

Out with the drab: Time to add personality to healthcare equipment

May 07, 2012

A few years ago, I broke my leg. Ouch! I was stuck in a long-leg cast for 14 weeks. Luckily, no surgery was required. It was around the holidays, so I asked to have my cast done in red and green stripes.
 

Funding rarity: Alabama governor demands more for Medicaid

May 03, 2012

Amid the flurry of bad news for long-term care providers, regarding Medicaid cuts, a spot of sunshine appeared in Alabama on Wednesday, when the governor said he would veto the state's budget if an additional $200 million were not added to the program.
 

Advocates for dual eligibles are concerned about the fast pace of demonstration project timeline

May 02, 2012

Medicare advocates are concerned about the speed with which the federal government is implementing care coordination plans for dual eligibles, according to reports.
 

Lawmaker urges more oversight of Medicaid managed care

April 26, 2012

Medicaid managed care contracting should come under increased federal and state scrutiny, a prominent senator said Wednesday.
 

Technology helps anti-fraud efforts, but some say it's still not enough

April 26, 2012

Federal officials testified Tuesday at a Senate hearing that they have made significant strides in cracking down on healthcare fraud and abuse, though at least one prominent Republican said that not enough has been done.
 

CMS issues final rule on provider identification number

April 25, 2012

Providers and suppliers who submit claims to Medicaid and Medicare must include an identification number on enrollment applications and payment claims, according to a final rule.
 

Triple threat: One day's reports fuel chest-thumping, angst

April 25, 2012

Monday was a remarkable day, even by Washington spinmeister standards. In fact, we here at McKnight's had to look two times — nay, three — to make sure we had seen correctly.
 

Providers tackle Capitol Hill in person to try to prevent funding cuts

April 24, 2012

Preventing further reimbursement cuts, home- and community-based services, and housing will be the main topics of conversation Tuesday, when long-term care providers personally visit dozens of their respective U.S. lawmakers in Washington.
 

Capturing acuity: How MDS accuracy has a critical impact on Medicare/Medicaid payment systems

April 20, 2012

There's a familiar saying in the industry that "If it's not documented, then it's not done." But what if it is documented, but just not documented correctly?
 

Care coordination efforts for seniors hinge on Supreme Court Affordable Care Act decision

April 18, 2012

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.
 

HHS creates agency to coordinate seniors, disabled

April 17, 2012

As part of the federal government's push to better coordinate community-based care for seniors and the disabled, it has consolidated three departmental agencies involved with long-term care, officials announced Monday.
 

Study highlights needs of U.S. assisted living residents

April 17, 2012

Roughly 42% of U.S. assisted living residents has Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, and about 70% are women, according to a newly published data brief.
 

Caregivers for Medicaid recipients often live in poverty, study finds

April 16, 2012

Caregivers for low-income seniors and the disabled often live in poverty or near-poverty themselves, according to a new study.
 

With tax revenue up, provider group urges states to reverse Medicaid cuts

April 16, 2012

A top nursing home group is hoping that a jump in state tax collections can help convince lawmakers to restore states' Medicaid budgets.
 

Antipsychotics debate taken to new level

April 13, 2012

The battle over antipsychotics use for seniors and their marketing shows no signs of abating. The latest blow is a billion-dollar court decision against a pharmaceutical giant accused of too aggressively pushing the drug Risperdal, which is taken by many seniors with Alzheimer's disease.
 

Low-quality Medicare Advantage plans should expect scrutiny, CMS says

April 13, 2012

Medicare Advantage plans with fewer than five stars on the quality scale should expect some form of audit, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid official said this week.
 

Consumer group cries foul over GOP's 2013 budget

April 11, 2012

The fiscal 2013 budget, which was passed in the House, would cause seniors' healthcare costs to surge and wreak havoc on Medicare and Medicaid, two new reports suggest.
 

Nursing homes throwing money around

April 11, 2012

Even in generosity, it seems, nursing homes can't catch a break. The headlines imply as much.
 

New Medicaid regulations give states flexibility with home and community based services

April 10, 2012

State Medicaid programs have been granted additional flexibility in providing home- and community-based services to elderly and disabled individuals, according to new regulations.
 

MedPAC worried over managed care plan for dual eligibles

April 06, 2012

A Medicare advisory panel has expressed concern that automatic enrollment into managed care plans for dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries would harm their access to healthcare.
 

CMS awards 26 states with Medicaid audit contracts

April 02, 2012

Contracts for Medicaid recovery audit contractors (RACs) have been awarded to 26 states, government officials have announced.
 

New SNF business models and alligators

April 02, 2012

There's an old adage that goes something like this: It's hard to remember that your objective was to drain the ditch when you are up to your waist in alligators.
 

The real reason why the Supreme Court will trounce Obamacare

March 30, 2012

I'm not sure why so much hand wringing is taking place over the Supreme Court's future decision about Obamacare. For as they like to say in Chicago, the fix is in.
 

Revenue declines, not Medicaid expansions, to blame for state budget shortfalls, report suggests

March 30, 2012

Recession-related state budget shortfalls are the result of revenue decline, not greater spending on Medicaid, a new report suggests.
 

Bundled payments and dual-eligibles bring opportunities to long-term care operators, experts say

March 29, 2012

Gainsharing and caring for dual eligibles are hot topics for healthcare providers — and rightfully so — experts said Thursday.
 
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