Ask the payment expert: What is the best way not to lose 2% of the Annual Payment Update?
Even though we are getting a temporary break from it due to pandemic relief, what is the best way not to lose 2% of the Annual Payment Update?
Print Issue: May 2020
CMS doubles test payouts
High-volume labs that test for COVID-19 at nursing homes have seen their pay doubled under a new policy from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aimed at boosting testing and tracking capacity.
CMS proposes 2.3% boost for 2021 Medicare pay rate
Nursing home providers were pleased to learn in mid-April about a proposed 2.3% Medicare pay hike for fiscal 2021.
Providers get 15% Medicaid funding bump to help cover costs associated with the novel coronavirus
Connecticut providers said a 10% increase in Medicaid payments for nursing homes was an “incredibly important step” but not enough to avoid calamity. They then got 5% more.
Absences force evacuation
California — A provider in Riverside, CA, was forced to evacuate more than 80 residents after employees failed to show up for work two days in a row.
Epicenter SNF fined $611K
Washington — The Life Care Center of Kirkland, which was the site of the first coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., is facing a $611,000 fine following a federal investigation into its causes.
Lawsuit over outbreak
Tennessee — A Tennessee nursing home is facing a lawsuit over a coronavirus outbreak.
Call for Medicaid expansion
Texas — Texas state Sen. Nathan Johnson (D) wants the state to expand Medicaid during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ask the legal expert: Can we stop a local paper from writing about soon-to-be-proven false accusations?
A local newspaper wrote an article about how a disgruntled family member of a recently deceased resident is suing us. Readers may infer poor care from the article. Can we stop the paper from writing these stories about soon-to-be-proven false accusations?
Expert: DOJ may ramp up enforcement
Providers shouldn’t assume that federal authorities will slow down enforcement efforts in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, they should expect authorities to “step up” efforts — and that includes its new National Nursing Home Initiative, a legal expert said.
