June 01, 2013
The nation's skilled nursing facilities can expect an aggregate $500 million boost in Medicare payments next year — $320 million less than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed.
Timothy Bickmore, Ph.D., will address how computerized characters can provide support to providers during an upcoming free webinar. "Avatars in senior care settings" will begin at 1 p.m. ET on March 20. The presentation is part of the McKnight's Online Expo. Attendees will be able to earn up to five free NAB-approved continuing education credits. To register, visit www.mcknights.com/expo2013.
March 01, 2013
It's official: A federal judge approved a settlement agreement the last week of January that will allow Medicare patients to continue receiving therapy services even if they are not making measurable improvement.
March 01, 2013
The Jimmo vs. Sebelius case, filed in January 2011 in federal district court in Vermont, has now been settled. The class action lawsuit challenged Medicare's use of an "improvement standard" in determining medical necessity for skilled nursing services and outpatient therapy.
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.
Marking another step toward guaranteeing Medicare coverage for nursing home residents needing skilled services, a federal judge on Thursday approved the October 2012 settlement agreement in Jimmo v. Sebelius.
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.
February 23, 2011
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday that the Affordable Care Act will provide additional funding to programs that help Medicaid beneficiaries move out of institutions—such as nursing homes—and into community set
Providers could be facing calls for cuts in benefits and demands for more effective drug purchasing in the wake of a letter from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to the nation's governors. Sebelius sent the missive as a reminder on ways states could more efficiently utilize their Medicaid programs.
The future of long-term care under specific provisions in the healthcare reform law will be the focus of a policy briefing at 10 a.m. (Eastern) Monday at the Kaiser Family Foundation's headquarters in Washington. The foundation also will conduct a panel discussion on Medicaid's role and the group's latest findings regarding long-term services for seniors and people with disabilities.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius must have seen "A Few Good Men." Her most recent move against the nation's Republican governors looks like a maneuver from Col. Nathan Jessup's playbook.
President Obama and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius visited a seniors facility in Maryland yesterday to discuss prescription drug coverage, preventing fraud and impending changes to Medicare and Medicaid.
March 17, 2010
The nation's first nursing home rating system is an important tool for consumers, but changes can be expected, said the country's highest health official on Tuesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said criticism about always assigning certain percentages of facilities "excellent" or "failing" grades is "serious" and deserves further consideration.
