Senators pushing for vote on Medicare bill by week’s end
Jul 08, 2008
Senate Democratic leaders are hoping for a vote on the critical Medicare bill by the end of the week, news and industry sources say.
As recess ends, work begins for Senate on Medicare bill
Jul 07, 2008
Democratic senators return from their holiday recess this week with a clear objective: to vote on the now-familiar H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.
Senator asks for temporary extension of Part B therapy caps exceptions process
Jul 03, 2008
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter Wednesday urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to maintain the exceptions process for Medicare Part B therapy...
Nursing homes challenge regulators’ authority to cut Medicare payments
Jul 02, 2008
Leaders of the largest nursing home association in America are openly questioning the legality of federal regulators’ proposal to reduce Medicare reimbursement levels by 3.3% in fiscal year 2009.
Bush signs bill delaying six of seven Medicaid rules
Jul 01, 2008
President Bush on Monday signed a war-spending bill that delays six of seven Medicaid regulations until April of 2009. The move represents a so-called “win” for nursing-home providers.
CMS decides not to extend therapy caps exemptions process
Jul 01, 2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday told the long-term care community it will not extend the therapy caps exceptions process, which expired Monday. As a result, many residents now will...
Regulators go overtime fielding comments and questions on nursing home star-rating system
Jun 25, 2008
While the focus of regulators’ “Open Door Forum” conference call Tuesday might have first appeared to be about getting ready for the December rollout of a new nursing home ranking system,...
Florida nursing homes ahead of the curve with five-star rating system
Jun 23, 2008
The five-star rating system introduced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may be new for nursing homes on a national scale, but it’s old hat in the Sunshine State.
Nursing homes to pay for their own sprinklers, CMS says
Jun 20, 2008
It is estimated that almost one out of every 11 nursing homes do not contain a sprinkler system, between 20% and 30% do not have automatic sprinklers, and retrofitting will cost facilities roughly $850...
Agreement reached on Medicaid rule moratorium
Jun 20, 2008
The U.S. House of Representatives this week struck a deal with the White House on a supplemental war-funding bill that also includes a moratorium on six of the seven unpopular Medicaid provisions.