Senate bill counts hospital ‘observation’ days toward time needed for skilled nursing coverage
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 25, 2024
A Senate bill introduced Wednesday would count days spent under ‘observation status’ in a hospital toward Medicare’s three-day qualifying stay requirement.
Providers: Staffing rule a CMS ‘fairy tale’ that will ‘exacerbate’ nursing home access issue
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 23, 2024
Despite minor concessions in a staffing mandate issued Monday, many nursing home providers were shell-shocked by what they saw as federal regulators’ intractable stance on minimums at a time when nearly...
Many state governments installed new regulations to govern nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those state-level policies weren’t clearly linked to reduced transmission, according to new...
EXTRA: CMS publishes rule outlining final staffing requirements
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it would exempt nursing homes from having registered nurse coverage for up to 8 out of 24 hours a day “under certain circumstances,” unveiling...
BREAKING: CMS increases hours to 3.48 in final staffing rule
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
Nursing homes will be required to deliver 3.48 hours daily of direct patient care under a final staffing mandate issued this morning.
Nursing homes weigh pros, cons of new weight loss drugs as limited Medicare coverage kicks in
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 22, 2024
A recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to cover popular new weight loss drugs that provide additional health benefits could be a “game changer” for potentially thousands...
Medicare audits ‘ramping up’ with isolation coding in the crosshairs
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 22, 2024
Auditors are paying special attention to isolation and quarantine coding amid already heightened Medicare nursing home audits that are expected to increase in coming months, experts warn.
Families press for nationwide ‘essential caregiver’ rights
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 18, 2024
More than four years after nearly all visitors were barred from US nursing homes amid a spreading pandemic, consumer advocates are pushing to enshrine permanent access for essential caregivers into federal...
Democrats push new LTC workforce bill as offset to nursing home mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 17, 2024
Key Democratic leaders Tuesday positioned new long-term care workforce legislation as a way to support nursing homes when a first-ever staffing mandate is finalized.
Centralized recruiting, ‘red carpet culture’ are keys to make staffing stick: experts
By
Josh Henreckson
Apr 17, 2024
Nursing homes that use tactics such as centralized recruiting, a consistent “red carpet culture” and creative benefits programs will have a leg up in today’s challenging long-term care staffing environment.