Officials: More additions and rebasings of nursing home ratings to come
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 23, 2015
Nearly one-third of the nation’s skilled nursing facilities lost a rating star due purely to administrative changes Friday, when regulators also emphasized that more quality measures will be added...
Changes to Five Star expected, providers fear lower ratings
By
Elizabeth Newman
Feb 12, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is expected to unveil major changes to Nursing Home Compare today that could cause facilities to lose rating stars, according to industry sources.
New models predict SNF hospital readmission rates
By
Steven Littlehale
Jan 21, 2015
If a skilled nursing facility were an overall Five Star performer, you would think that it would provide the best care and have the fewest rehospitalizations, right?
AHCA goes on offense, backs 5 Star audits
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 01, 2014
Following victories such as the newly signed IMPACT Act, provider advocates now will be more aggressive on Capitol Hill, leaders of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted...
New hospice comparison tool uses government info, Washington Post calls for more transparency
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 28, 2014
In the absence of a hospice consumer guide from the government, The Washington Post has created one using available Medicare data. The newspaper unveiled the quality tool Sunday, in an article criticizing...
Providers should expect ‘disruption’ but are ready for Five Star changes, Parkinson says
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 10, 2014
Coming changes to the Five Star rating system for nursing homes will “cause some disruption,” but many long-term care providers already are on track, according to American Health Care Association/National...
Verify payroll totals for rankings: letter
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2014
Federal regulators need to collect nursing home staffing data directly from payroll systems rather than from providers themselves, members of the Congressional Seniors Task Force said in a recent letter...
Lawmakers demand answers about rating system quirks
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2014
After The New York Times noted that providers are apparently gaming the Five Star rating system by enhancing staffing and quality data, federal lawmakers quickly put an indignant pen to paper.
Stars aligned for shift
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2014
The Five Star rating system is about to get retooled, thanks to a scathing report in The New York Times. The only real question is how extensive the changes will be.
CMS needs to get nursing home staffing information directly from payroll systems, Congressional leaders...
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 27, 2014
Federal regulators should start collecting nursing home staffing information directly from payroll systems as soon as possible, members of the Congressional Seniors Task Force said in a letter to a top...