First NHSN webinar on COVID-19 vaccination reporting changes is Monday
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 22, 2023
The national reporting system for nursing homes to submit COVID-19 vaccination data has set webinar dates to review important changes to the system.
Also in the News for Friday, Sept. 22
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 22, 2023
CMS updates quality measures to align with coming MDS changes … CCRC ratings unlikely to be affected by SNF staffing mandates: Fitch … US employers facing largest increase in healthcare costs in a...
Nursing home critics attack staffing cost argument, urge providers to come to the table
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 21, 2023
Federal officials and the public need more visibility into nursing home spending to determine whether their concerns about the cost of complying with a nationwide staffing mandate are justified, well-known...
Three questions to boost nursing home audit readiness
By
Brian Evans
Sep 20, 2023
Nursing home and long-term care operators have already faced a number of key shifts since the beginning of 2023. Consider a recent example from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: an update on...
CMS ‘naive’ about staffing minimum proposal details, professor claims
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 20, 2023
The proposed federal staffing rule is “shockingly low” and will not measurably improve working and care conditions in nursing homes, consumer advocates claimed during a webinar that was conducted without...
A slap in the face for LPNs who keep nursing homes running
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 19, 2023
There are about 175,000 LPNs working in nursing homes — critical staff members who might no longer fit into the SNF job market if the proposed staffing rule is finalized as currently written.
AARP stands with HHS in plan to reduce drug costs
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 19, 2023
AARP and AARP Foundation are getting involved in a lawsuit between Merck Co. and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over Medicare’s new authority to negotiate lower prescription drug prices....
With 80 percent of SNFs needing more nurses, analysis finds waivers likely to ‘mute’ mandate
By
Jessica R. Towhey
Sep 19, 2023
Nearly all for-profit nursing homes, which account for two-thirds of US facilities, would need to hire more nurses to meet provisions of the newly proposed federal staffing mandate, results of a new analysis...
Guess what’s about to start rolling downhill
By
John O'Connor
Sep 18, 2023
As we’ve come to understand, bad things can happen through no fault of our own. Sometimes, it’s a matter of someone else being victimized by fate’s fickle finger – and playing the misfortune forward.
Nursing home staffing rule ‘balanced and achievable,’ CMS official says
By
Kimberly Marselas
Sep 15, 2023
Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Thursday defended their minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes as “balanced and achievable,” and provided more details on a coming program...