Long-term care stakeholders are looking forward to telehealth policies remaining a “very, very hot topic” in Congress during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and beyond. Service providers say they are optimistic lawmakers will act, but want to make sure they are properly reimbursed in the end.
A recalibration to the Patient Driven Payment Model could have troubling payment implications for skilled nursing providers who are still trying to manage a difficult operating environment caused by the pandemic, experts are warning.
Providers are set to receive extended relief from the 2% Medicare sequester cuts under a year-end legislative relief deal that was finalized by federal lawmakers on Monday. However, they will have to wait for liability protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits after such shields were not included in the pending COVID-19 relief package.
There may be more awaiting long-term care providers this week than meals of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may release its final rule regarding cuts to Medicare Part B therapy services, according to Cynthia Morton, executive director of the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care (NASL).
Nursing home operators will have to cut the amount of therapy services they can offer, thanks to Medicare payment cuts slated to start Jan. 1, a top industry expert said in renewing warnings Monday.
The much-anticipated report outlining COVID-19 problems in nursing homes and offering corresponding recommendations elicited a range of opinions from stakeholders Thursday.
Cynthia Morton, a key go-to person for expertise on long-term care and post-acute care public policy issues, developed her path one step at a time.
Nursing homes will be required to have Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waivers to perform COVID-19 point-of-care tests. As a result, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is working to expedite the review of applications.
Nursing home operators and the rest of the country may soon know the key components in a fourth, and likely final, coronavirus relief package from the federal government.
Therapy providers will now be able to offer their services through telehealth to Medicare patients after the federal government announced a new set of rules and waivers Thursday. The move should help facilitate therapy to nursing home residents during the pandemic, the head of a key long-term care group said.
