The long wait is over: The new Medicare payment system for nursing homes has arrived. October 1 marks the official start of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), just about 18 months after the federal government first announced the change in April 2018. Since then, the skilled nursing industry has trained a laser focus on preparations […]
The federal government issued a final rule on Thursday requiring hospitals to give patients access to more information about the post-acute provider choices available — including data on how their post-acute options perform on quality measures such as pressure ulcers, falls, and readmissions. This new rule will not have any impact on anti-steering regulations that […]
The federal government this week announced a settlement with a regional skilled nursing chain that officials accused of discriminating against residents with opioid use disorder. Athena Health Care Systems will adopt a non-discrimination policy regarding patients dealing with opioid addiction, develop training programs, and pay a $10,000 civil penalty to the government as part of […]
A top official in Massachusetts called on the state’s health department to improve its nursing home investigation efforts after an audit revealed significant delays in processing inspections of potentially deficient properties. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s investigative unit failed to conduct on-site inspections of nursing homes within the mandated 10-day timeframe in 148 of […]
Two nursing facilities in Arkansas filed a lawsuit last week against the U.S. federal government over the final rule regarding arbitration in skilled nursing facilities, arguing that the newest iteration of the regulation “is just as unlawful” as the 2016 rule that banned the practice altogether. The two plaintiffs are Northport Health Services of Arkansas […]
The federal government on Thursday finalized a rule that will expand its power to remove potentially unscrupulous health care providers from Medicare and Medicaid eligibility. Under the new final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can kick providers out of the programs if they have a previous affiliation with a banned organization, […]
The past several years have seen sweeping overhauls of nursing home enforcement on the federal level, and the Medicare program’s top clinical officer says her agency isn’t done beefing up its efforts. Dr. Kate Goodrich, the chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), promised that more changes are coming to […]
With less than a month to go before the implementation of the new Medicare payment system for nursing homes, most providers should have a firm plan in place to effectively capture reimbursements on October 1. But as the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) transitions from a proposal to a reality, operators need to prepare for the […]
The leading national trade group representing for-profit skilled nursing facilities this week called on the federal government to streamline its policy on Medicare eligibility for nursing home care, arguing that officials already have the legal authority to do so. American Health Care Association president and CEO Mark Parkinson formally asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]
The leader of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday continued her public push for greater nursing home oversight, promising that the agency will use data to target states with suspiciously low rates of citations — while also expressing a desire to reduce survey frequencies for top performers. CMS administrator Seema Verma […]
Four employees of the Hollywood Hills nursing home in Florida will face criminal charges related to the deaths of a dozen residents due to heat exposure after Hurricane Irma in 2017. The New York Times first reported plans to charge the employees, a group that includes the administrator, a charge nurse, and two other nurses, […]
The federal government’s top health care watchdog has called on state officials in New York to beef up enforcement of nursing home safety rules after uncovering multiple violations in a recent audit. The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) this month released a report accusing the Empire State […]
An administrative law judge approved a nearly $1 million penalty against the owner of an Illinois nursing home chain responsible for the worst default in the history of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s loan program for health care facilities, the New York Times reported on Friday. Under the terms of the deal, Zvi […]
Between a new Medicare payment model and increased scrutiny on nursing home safety from the federal government, 2019 may go down as a watershed year for skilled nursing regulations. But at least one patient advocate says the government — particularly under the Trump administration — hasn’t gone far enough. Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney […]
A class-action lawsuit challenging the Medicare eligibility rules for skilled nursing coverage will finally get its day in court this week — shortly after the administrator in charge of the program publicly questioned the status quo. The trial over the lawsuit, first filed in 2011, began Monday in a Hartford federal courtroom, according to an […]
Diversicare Healthcare Services (Nasdaq: DVCR) on Monday announced that it has reached a tentative agreement to settle an investigation into its therapy practices and other issues that had long served as a drag on its operations. “For six years, we’ve had this open investigation, but we’re now closer to having certainty on the matter,” CEO […]
Leaders at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continued their public push to improve nursing home safety and enforcement this week, laying out plans to mine data to root out bad actors — while also emphasizing that the initiative goes all the way to the top of the federal government. “This issue is […]
The federal government on Tuesday finalized a predicted funding increase for nursing homes, while also formalizing changes to several key quality programs — with an eye toward clarifying some parts of the new Medicare payment model for skilled nursing facilities. Under the terms of the 2020 final rule for Medicare skilled nursing facilities, the Centers […]
Skilled nursing facilities could see relief from regulatory burdens if a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) takes effect, and according to the agency, it could lead to millions in savings. Specifically, the rule would overhaul multiple requirements and delay the implementation of regulations related to the Quality Assurance and […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week issued yet another new proposal aimed at overhauling federal oversight of nursing homes, and the agency’s chief reaffirmed her dedication to the issue. “The Trump administration is empowering residents and their caregivers with information about nursing home safety and quality, and we’re doubling down on […]