The federal government's Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan will reduce its payments to skilled nursing facilities by 50% as of June 15, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The PCIP program received a budget of $5 billion in ACA funding, and CMS fears it will run out of money prior to 2014 given the current rate of pay-outs.
Emeritus Senior Living has engaged high-profile attorneys in its bid to overturn the verdict handed down by a jury in March, under which Emeritus would have to pay nearly $23 million in punitive damages related to the death of a resident who had pressure wounds.
Injecting a plasma protein called plasminogen around chronic diabetic wounds can lead to complete healing, according to new research from Umea University in Sweden.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the provider certification manual for hospitals, giving more in-depth guidelines around discharge planning. The goal is for hospitals to reduce readmissions by partnering with post-acute providers.
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would require employers to make reasonable job modifications for pregnant women. The lawmakers were motivated in part by the case of Victoria Serednyj, a nursing home activity director who lost her job while pregnant.
Benedictine Health System President and CEO Dale M. Thompson will retire in December. Thompson is a former president of the American Health Care Association.
Advocat Inc., which operates 48 skilled nursing centers, changed its name to Diversicare Healthcare Services as of March 15. Its facilities already operated under the Diversicare name, and President and CEO Kelly J. Gill said the name change is to unify branding.
Aviv REIT Inc. netted nearly $279 million in an initial public offering of common stock. The Chicago-based company first tried to go public in 2008 but was stopped by the economic crisis, and a 2009 attempt was met with investor resistance.
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A four-person review panel would have to approve civil malpractice lawsuits against long-term care providers before the claims could go to court, under a bill that recently passed the state senate in Kentucky.
Virginia — State Sen. Bill Stanley (R) has introduced a bill requiring that nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other certified nursing facilities obtain minimum levels of insurance. If SB70 becomes law, affected facilities would have to maintain liability coverage of at least $1 million, and have levels of professional liability insurance defined by the state's medical malpractice caps.
The Florida Health Care Association (FHA) criticized a report that one in five Florida nursing homes appears on the state's watch list for failing to meet minimum care standards or correct violations within a specified time frame.
