April 19, 2013
Long-term care providers and states should agree on what a "direct access employee" is and whether that person has a criminal conviction that should keep him or her from working in a nursing home, according to a a recently released report from the Long-Term Care Criminal Convictions Work Group.
February 27, 2013
The White House said states can reduce Medicaid payments to long-term care operators and other healthcare providers in a court brief filed Monday.
Answering the question on the minds of many state policymakers, the Obama administration said Monday it will not provide full federal funding for states that go only part of the way on expanding Medicaid.
November 27, 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services remains busy counseling states with guidance on the standards that Medicaid programs must adhere to in coverage options for low-income. A new letter gives guidance on the Medicaid expansion scheduled to begin in January 2014.
While many states have increased provider taxes since 2008, many also raised payment rates for skilled nursing facilities, according to a three-year study from the General Accountability Office.
August 28, 2012
The extent to which states conduct asset verification checks on those seeking Medicaid coverage for long-term care varies greatly by state, a government report finds.
Despite assurances offered by federal officials, state Medicaid directors remain dissatisfied with the lack of guidance provided to states about the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.
July 09, 2012
The Supreme Court has served up yet another tortured, enigmatic decision. Now comes the fun part: figuring out what they really intended — and what those intentions will likely mean for long-term care operators.
July 02, 2012
Many states are considering their options in the wake of a seemingly favorable Supreme Court ruling. The nation's highest court ruled that Congress exceeded its reach when it threatened states with a total Medicaid funding cutoff if they failed to participate in an expanded Medicaid program.
Increasing the Medicare age to 67 would save the federal government $148 billion between 2012 and 2021, but the savings would be offset by an increase in Medicaid spending, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.
January 12, 2012
Twenty-six states filed a brief Tuesday encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a provision of the healthcare reform law that calls for a major expansion of Medicaid.
Most states can expect a dip in their federal match rate for Medicaid in fiscal year 2013, according to a new report from the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
As Medicaid enrollment grows at unprecedented rates, many state governments are trimming "optional" services for enrollees, according to a handful of new reports released Thursday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
June 23, 2010
A new report highlights the potential detrimental impact of long-term care commitments on state budgets.
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.
Medicaid expansion carries the additional cost of administrative expenses, according to state Medicaid directors. They gathered this week to discuss ways to deal with a proposed expansion of the Medicaid program under healthcare reform legislation.
