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Policy

Slow economy didn't stop new assisted living regulations in 2009: report

March 09, 2010

A new review of state assisted living regulations finds that the economic downturn hasn't slowed the development of new Medicaid and assisted living policy changes.

Nursing home lobbyists urge lawmakers for change but don't expect long-term care reform

June 05, 2009

Hundreds of nursing home owners and operators blitzed congressional buildings in Washington on Thursday, pressing lawmakers for better Medicare payments, a halt to post-acute payment bundling system talk and other improvements. But one thing they weren't expecting to make much progress on was long-term care reform.

Healthcare officials eliminate nursing home assessment protocols

May 28, 2009

It's a wrap on RAPs. Resident Assessment Protocols (RAPs) will be eliminated under a new assessment regimen in development, an official with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Thursday.

DAY 2: Last day of McKnight's Online Expo to feature webcasts on marketplace, and Medicare and Medicaid

March 26, 2009

President Barack Obama in a press conference Tuesday night argued that the only way to balance the budget is to address the nation's rising healthcare costs. Medicare and Medicaid, the big government payers of long-term care, and the housing market will be the subjects of McKnight's Online Expo on its final day today.

DAY ONE: McKnight's third annual Online Expo to kick off with webcasts on technology, wound care and payment

March 25, 2009

The third annual online trade show for the long-term care field starts today with a whole range of educational webcasts and virtual vendor booths. It's not too late to register for the two-day event at www.mcknights.com/expo.

New bills would provide nursing homes with funding for disaster relief and sprinkler systems

March 25, 2009

One new federal bill would expand the scope of disaster relief to include for-profit nursing homes, while another would help fund the installation of sprinkler systems.

ONE DAY TO GO: Medicare, Medicaid face drastic cuts under new administration, McKnight's Online Expo to address programs as they affect long-term care

March 24, 2009

Under President Obama's budget plan, Medicare and Medicaid spending would be slashed by up to $295 billion over the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated.

Senators introduce transparency bill and GAO report revealing under-funded survey system

March 20, 2009

A new Government Accountability Office report shows that the survey and certification system lacks the funding necessary to keep pace with its oversight responsibilities. Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) on Thursday released the report in conjunction with the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2009, a bill that inflamed nursing home providers when it was initially introduced last year.

Provider groups oppose MedPAC recommendation for FY 2010 nursing home rate freeze

March 18, 2009

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended to Congress Tuesday that skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities not receive a reimbursement rate increase for fiscal year 2010. The recommendation angered nursing home providers.

U.S. News' rating system for nursing homes builds on government's 'five-star' model

March 13, 2009

Alaska has the largest percentage of five-star rated facilities in the United States, while Louisiana has the lowest. That is according to U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Nursing Homes rankings. The list expands on information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Nursing Home Compare Web site, which houses the new "five-star" rating system.

Regulators delaying new MDS 3.0 nursing home payment system to 'minimize confusion'

March 06, 2009

Federal healthcare regulators on Thursday announced a sweeping round of delays for an updated tool to enhance the nursing home payment system. The rollout of MDS 3.0 is now targeted for October 2010 and other intermediary steps are being pushed back, officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said.

Opinion: the five-star nursing home rating system is bad policy, hastily implemented

March 01, 2009

A good idea does not necessarily good policy make. For proof, look no further than the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services' recently unveiled Five-Star rating system for nursing homes.

McKnight's Online Expo offers free continuing education units for the first time

James Berklan March 01, 2009

In this down-turned economy, when most things seem to be getting more difficult to accomplish or acquire, there is one high-quality endeavor bucking the trend: McKnight's Online Expo.

Federal court finds 17 Indiana nursing home violations were not issued maliciously

February 26, 2009

A federal appeals court has ruled against an Indiana nursing home, which successfully contested 16 of 17 Medicaid-participation and state licensing violations. The court did not find that state health department officials had issued citations out of malice.

New rule hindering suits against nursing homes goes unnoticed

February 25, 2009

A recent article in The Washington Post sheds light on a quietly enacted last-minute Bush policy that hinders the prosecution of cases against nursing homes.

McKnight's Online Expo to offer continuing education credits

February 24, 2009

The American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care Monday reiterated the importance of reforming the long-term care payment system. McKnight's' readers can learn more about payment and policy issues during the McKnight's Online Expo March 25-26.

Obama issues pro-union orders

February 02, 2009

President Obama issued a series of pro-labor executive orders Friday, sparking new worries for providers and other employers that even more pro-union action could be forthcoming.

New York pushes back against home-care benefits rule

January 27, 2009

The state of New York is urging the Obama administration to overturn a rule that denies couples receiving home care the same financial rights as those in nursing homes.

Congressional Budget Office analyzes long-term care policies

January 05, 2009

States may not have the infrastructure to support a potential increase in home- and community-based services, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The agency released a report highlighting the projected costs and ramifications of more than 100 healthcare policies, including many proposed for long-term care.

Five-star nursing home rating system kicks off with controversy

December 18, 2008

The head of one provider organization reacted negatively Wednesday to the way the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has handled the launch of a new five-star rating system for nursing homes. The program is scheduled to launch today.

Nursing homes to be notified of initial 'five-star' ratings starting Monday

December 12, 2008

Nursing home operators on Monday will begin receiving advance notice of their first ratings in federal regulators' new "five-star" system, officials said during a conference call Thursday.

Medicare payments to nursing facilities may stay same in FY 2010

December 08, 2008

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) may recommend to Congress that skilled nursing facilities not receive a Medicare payment update in fiscal year 2010.

Newly appointed Orszag expected to play healthcare reform role

December 01, 2008

The recent appointment of Peter Orszag to director of the White House Office of Management and Budget indicates that the Obama administration is serious about controlling the rising costs of healthcare, according to news reports.

AHCA pressures CMS, lawmakers to wait on 'five-star' rating system

November 25, 2008

The pending "five-star" nursing home rating system should be delayed because it would not accurately reflect the quality of the nation's nursing homes, the American Health Care Association told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently.

Obama administration unlikely to enact pending Medicaid rules, panel says

November 21, 2008

Seven unpopular Medicaid rules, six of which were delayed from taking effect, are unlikely to be implemented under an Obama administration, panelists said at a meeting of the American Bar Association this week, a news outlet reported.

Obama wins: New president favors long-term care financing reform

November 05, 2008

Democratic candidate Barack Obama last night was elected the next president of the United States. His proposals for long-term care include financing reform.

Experts favor new payment system rewarding higher quality and more efficient care

November 04, 2008

A new survey of healthcare leaders finds that almost all feel the current healthcare payment system is fundamentally flawed and must be reformed. An overwhelming majority favor bonuses for high-quality outcomes and more efficient care.

Urge Congress to pass stimulus package, former senator tells policy experts

November 03, 2008

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey told a panel of state and federal long-term care policy experts to push Congress to pass a stimulus package before the new Congress convenes.

Worried governors ask Congress for more federal Medicaid funding

October 29, 2008

The nation's governors have appealed to congressional leaders to boost federal Medicaid funding and change tax provisions to help states through the current economic slowdown. In particular, the governors recommended in a letter sent Monday that Congress increase for at least a two-year period a formula that determines matching payments to state Medicaid programs.

Study: Medicare pay-for-performance penalizes hospitals that treat more elderly patients

October 22, 2008

Hospitals that serve large groups of the elderly, poor, African-American or female patients tend to be ranked lower than hospitals with healthier, younger clientele under the Medicare pay-for-performance program, according to new research from the Duke Clinical Research Institute.