Mobile Version SearchEldercare Subscribe Newsletters Contact Us About Us Advertise Magazine Jobs Reprints Video Ads

RSS | Login | Register

Regulatory

Frustrations of a persecuted provider boil over

Barry Bortz November 01, 2011

What happens when a government and society create an evil enemy of the state? They begin by calling them monsters, a drain on society that is guilty of heinous crimes, and they use the legal system and media to prosecute them publicly without due process. You have all seen the headlines about nursing homes. The TRUTH never seems to matter, only the synthetic story.

Rockefeller introduces bill making MedPAC independent executive branch agency

May 27, 2009

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is a legislative entity whose purpose is to advise Congress on matters of Medicare reimbursement rates and coverage policies. Now, one senator has introduced legislation that would transfer the agency to the executive branch and give it more political muscle.

Nursing home leaders to unveil new mentoring program at national conference

May 15, 2009

Major issues of the day, plus the start of a new mentoring program, will grab the spotlight at the 43rd annual convocation and exposition of the American College of Health Care Administrators this weekend and early next week. Administrators and other long-term care leaders will seek answers about the federal government's new Five-Star rating system, possible Obama administration policies and legislative hurdles at the event, which runs through Tuesday in Providence, RI. Dr. Vincent Mor, chairman of the Department of Community Health at Brown University's school of medicine, headlines as keynote speaker. Dr. Douglas Olson will introduce ACHCA's new mentoring program, through the Academy of Long Term Care Leadership and Development.

Nursing home groups suggest $1 billion Medicare cuts could cost even more

May 13, 2009

Nursing home representatives and healthcare groups continued their attacks against a proposed FY 2010 $1.05 billion Medicare reduction on Tuesday with the release of a report indicating the cuts could carry additional billions of dollars in unintended costs and consequences for both patients and providers.

Nursing home operators howl as government proposes slashing Medicare payments by $1 billion

May 04, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services set off a backlash from nursing home operators late Friday afternoon when it proposed "adjustments" that would cut Medicare payments by $1.05 billion in fiscal 2010. The 3.3% reduction will "largely" be offset by a 2.1% market basket increase, officials said.

CMS releases implementation timeline for MDS 3.0

April 20, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Friday released the timeline for MDS 3.0. This comes one week after the agency published a timeline and then pulled it off the site.

F-tags with revisions on resident quality of life to be released in June

April 20, 2009

Eleven F-tags with revisions related to the quality of life and environment of nursing home residents will be available June 17.

CMS issues new MDS 3.0 schedule -- and quickly recalls it

April 13, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week posted on its Web site a new schedule for the planned October 2010 rollout of the new MDS 3.0. But the agency quickly removed it the same day.

CMS to test cash incentives for nursing home quality, efficiency efforts

March 30, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Friday announced a new, four-state demonstration project to test whether cash incentives will help improve quality and efficiency in nursing homes.

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.

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.

TWO DAYS AND COUNTING: Expo session on IT comes on heels of naming of new national health information technology coordinator

March 23, 2009

Long-term care providers are liable to hear the name David Blumenthal, M.D., a lot in the coming months and years if all goes as planned at the Department of Health and Human Services. On Friday, HHS named Blumenthal the new national coordinator for health information technology.

Regulators see need to issue new guide for dining assistants in nursing homes

March 16, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has completed a guide for providers who want to employ dining assistants in their facilities. After a drawn out battle, CMS agreed five years ago to allow the use of paid feeding assistants--provided they achieve a certain level of training and have the approval of the state.

CMS: No changes imminent to staffing formula for Five-Star rating

March 09, 2009

Federal health officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services say they are considering tweaking their new Five-Star nursing home ranking system, but altering the way staffing is graded will not happen in the near future.

Sebelius gets HHS nod, DeParle tabbed to become health czar

March 03, 2009

President Obama officially nominated Kathleen Sebelius, the democratic governor of Kansas, for the job of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday. Sebelius had been considered the front-runner after former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle bowed out after questions arose about personal tax issues.

Nursing homes oppose proposal to display ratings

March 01, 2009

A proposal that would require facilities through-out the state to prominently show their new federal star ratings has received pushback from nursing homes.

Ask the care expert: how to understand state deficiency scores

Sherrie Dornberger March 01, 2009

Sherrie Dornberger, RNC, CDONA, FACDONA President, NADONA

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 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.

Initial results of five-star ratings: Nonprofit nursing homes deliver better care, analysis shows

December 19, 2008

Nonprofit nursing homes provide a higher quality of care than for-profit facilities, according to an analysis by USA Today of the first ratings of nursing homes by the government's five-star rating system.

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.

CMS asks 30,000 Medicare providers to take part in survey

December 17, 2008

The fourth annual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services healthcare provider satisfaction survey is on its way, the agency announced Tuesday.

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.

FDA shoots down prospect of Medicare-covered gun for seniors

December 10, 2008

A single-shot pistol designed for seniors and those with disabilities does not qualify as a medical device, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday. That ended speculation that Medicare might cover it.

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.

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.

State Medicaid directors ask for delay of new coding system

October 28, 2008

Medicaid directors nationwide have called for a delay in the implementation of a new coding system for health claims from 2011 to 2013.

Attorney General says more cameras will be hidden in nursing homes

October 23, 2008

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is expanding his practice of installing hidden cameras in nursing homes to include facilities in western New York, according to local news outlets.

CMS: Medicaid spending to rise to $674 billion in 10 years

October 20, 2008

Government spending on Medicaid is expected to reach $674 billion by 2017, with annual spending projected to outpace U.S. economic growth, according to a report released Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.