In calling for a complete overhaul of the way the government and society view long-term and post-acute care, a prominent group of geriatricians argued that the fractured response to COVID-19 in nursing homes may have caused more harm than good in many areas. Three leaders from AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, […]
Category: Compliance
The federal government’s top Medicare official this week emphasized a desire to work closely with leaders in the nursing home landscape, pointing to industry feedback as a key driver behind a sweeping plan to send point-of-care COVID-19 testing units to the nation’s nursing facilities. “CMS obviously has a regulatory function with nursing homes,” Centers for […]
One day after the federal government announced an ambitious plan to send point-of-care testing units for COVID-19 to all of the nation’s more than 15,000 nursing homes, leaders in the space expressed cautious optimism — while often emphasizing that they have more questions than firm answers. Starting next week, the Department of Health and Human […]
The federal government on Wednesday revealed more details about its ambitious effort to send point-of-care COVID-19 testing units and kits to every nursing home in the country, indicating that each facility will receive 400 tests to start with — and thereafter be able to secure subsequent tests for under $25 apiece through a “special concierge […]
The federal government on Tuesday announced an ambitious plan to send point-of-care tests directly to every nursing facility in the country. But unless the building has a specific waiver allowing staffers to perform tests, the facility will not receive the tests, SNN has learned. Operators must secure a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver in […]
Another study has shown the benefits of universal COVID-19 testing at nursing homes, especially when compared to a symptom-based strategy — while also revealing how long even the most vulnerable residents can remain asymptomatic after a positive test. Universal testing caught 354 positives that symptom-based strategies missed at 11 facilities across Maryland, a new research […]
The federal government last week announced a push to support nursing homes in emerging COVID-19 hotspots, using a two-pronged approach of targeted enforcement and technical support from Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs). But the group that represents those QIOs claims that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hasn’t provided them with nearly enough money […]
Longwood Management Corporation, along with 27 individual affiliated skilled nursing facilities, will pay $16.7 million to settle federal allegations of rehabilitation billing fraud, the Department of Justice announced Monday. The government accused the Los Angeles-based firm of pressuring therapists to hit predetermined targets for rehab minutes under the Ultra High category, which provided the greatest […]
Health officials in New York late last week signed off on the resumption of visits to nursing homes that meet a host of safety criteria, while also emphasizing the danger of asymptomatic spread within facilities. Facilities free of COVID-19 cases for 28 days will be allowed to open their doors to non-emergency visitors, the New […]
The federal government has released billions of dollars in aid to health care providers, including nursing home operators, as they try to weather the clinical and financial strains of a pandemic that shows no signs of easing in the United States. But for providers that took over facilities in the months leading up to the […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced a plan to support nursing homes in new “COVID-19 hotspot areas,” with a combined focus on technical support and targeted inspections for facilities with a history of infection control issues. The White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence and coordinator […]
The federal government on Thursday again updated its guidelines for nursing home visitations amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, warning providers that they must continue to facilitate in-person or remote visits by long-term care ombudsmen. Citing sections of the Social Security Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarified that the CARES Act or […]
The most recent set of targeted infection control surveys at nursing homes, conducted in the wake of COVID-19 outbreaks, resulted in only a small proportion of deficiency citations for nursing homes, according to a new analysis released Thursday. Just about 2.4% of the 4,175 new surveys reported as of June 24 included nursing homes for […]
Until researchers come up with a COVID-19 vaccine, infection control will form a key pillar of nursing homes’ efforts to contain the virus’s spread — and nursing homes have historically struggled in that domain. It’s a challenge that will only increase as case counts spike in certain regions, and facilities reopen their doors to visitors. […]
The number of claims for medical services provided remotely via telehealth was more than 8,000% higher in April than at the same time last year, a new analysis from the health data non-profit FAIR Health has determined. Importantly, the data consists only of claims submitted to private insurers, and thus does not include the vast […]
Citing the timeline of infection and death rates at nursing homes, health officials in New York on Monday asserted that asymptomatic staffers were a primary driver of COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities — and not, as many have suggested, a controversial state mandate requiring nursing homes to accept positive patients. The New York State […]
Texas and Arizona have emerged as new potential COVID-19 hotspots in the latter half of June, but despite widespread knowledge of the danger to elderly residents, skilled nursing facilities in those states still face hurdles in securing testing and timely results. New COVID-19 cases in Texas have climbed significantly since mid-June, according to data from […]
The partisan sparring over the individuals and agencies that deserve the most blame for the COVID-19 death toll in nursing homes continued into the long holiday weekend. After a group of Senate Democrats issued a scathing report criticizing the federal response to the coronavirus crisis in long-term care, a trio of House Republicans fired back […]
Lengthy processing times remain the most pressing issue for nursing homes as they work to test residents and staff, according to a recent survey from a leading industry trade group. Just 3% of nursing home and assisted living facility operators reported the ability to receive same-day test results, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) reported, […]
A comprehensive testing and infection-control collaboration helped reduce the rate of new COVID-19 positives in nursing homes from 35% to 18%, a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has determined. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Detroit Health Department proactively worked with academics, health care systems, local […]
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