Despite the second straight year of declines in overall recoveries, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) top watchdog arm took back nearly $50 million in Medicaid reimbursements from nursing homes in fiscal 2018. The HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) this week reported a haul of $48.7 million from nursing providers accused […]
Category: Legislation
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made a splash last month when it claimed that skilled nursing facilities received $84 million in Medicare payments for treatments that didn’t qualify — but now a group of doctors claims that the proposed cures might be worse than the disease. Writing in a blog post for […]
The Florida House last week approved House Bill 21, which would repeal certificate of need (CON) laws for health care facilities in the state, including hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. The bill now goes to the state Senate, which has historically opposed CON repeal, the Tampa Bay Times noted. The Senate bill, however, does not […]
Leading skilled nursing provider The Ensign Group (Nasdaq: ENSG) on Thursday announced that it has successfully completed a five-year Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversight period. The Mission Viejo, Calif.-based company initially entered into a corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) back in October 2013; at […]
Skilled nursing operators can’t control day-to-day Medicaid rates in their states, but they do have a broad toolbox that can help them avoid eligibility errors and oversights that can cause millions in losses. In an era of constricted Medicaid reimbursements, frontline staff can still play a crucial role in maximizing dollars, sb2 Inc. CEO and […]
A bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers this week took another stab at clarifying the rules regarding a frequently confusing aspect of skilled nursing coverage under Medicare. Under the terms of the proposed legislation, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2019, so-called “observation stays” would count toward the three days of inpatient acute care […]
After a high-profile bankruptcy in December of last year, Texas now has two bills that aim to provide some Medicaid reimbursement relief to skilled nursing providers in the state. The bills, Senate Bill 1050 and House Bill 3342, would establish a long-term care quality provider participation program (QPPP) in the state that provides additional compensation […]
The White House on Monday released a budget proposal that would substantially slash Medicare and Medicaid spending over the next decade. In part by adopting a site-neutral payment model for post-acute care under Medicare and converting the Medicaid system to block grants, the federal government would end up gutting more than $1 trillion from the […]
Various industry stakeholders on Wednesday took to Capitol Hill for a hearing on safety standards at the country’s skilled nursing facilities, but one leading senator took the opportunity to sound the alarm over potential cuts to the Medicaid program. The Trump administration could move as soon as next week to publicly restart the fight over […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday announced stricter standards for its consumer-facing nursing home ratings, including a lower threshold for staffing penalties and new separate ratings for short-term and long-term stays. Starting April 24, CMS will automatically hand out one-star staffing ratings to buildings that have four or more days in […]
Public-private partnerships will form the basis of comprehensive Medicare reform as the baby boom population ages, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan predicted Thursday morning in remarks at a major skilled nursing and senior housing industry conference. “I believe the future for Medicare is in the Medicare Advantage type of space,” Ryan, a Wisconsin […]
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on January 31 signed into law a bill that allows nursing aides with out-of-state certifications to use their licenses to care for people in the Garden State. The bill was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Robert Singer. “The number of job openings for certified nursing assistants is staggering,” Singer said […]
Nursing homes in the state of South Dakota are facing a $42 million annual shortfall in Medicaid reimbursement, which has led to the closure of several facilities. Without an increase, industry leaders said, the closings could lead to “statewide disaster.” The Argus Leader first reported the story. Nine nursing facilities have already closed, two are […]
Programs for Americans aged 65 and older will account for nearly half of all the federal government’s non-interest spending in the next decade, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office found, as the baby boom population continues to age into both Medicare and certain Medicaid benefits. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security spending will balloon […]
After floating a proposed recommendation to slash nursing homes’ Medicare reimbursements for fiscal 2020, a leading legislative voice on health care issues made it final last week. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) called on Congress to reduce funding for skilled nursing facilities by up to $2 billion in the next fiscal year, citing sufficient […]
New York is among the top 10 states with the greatest number of nursing homes. But according to one state senator, the Empire State isn’t doing enough to enforce its existing regulations for standards of care — and needs new legislation to bring nursing homes up to speed. State Sen. Robert Ortt, a Republican whose […]
Leaders from multiple segments of the post-acute and long-term care industry have expressed optimism about increased reimbursements under the new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), but a survey of Skilled Nursing News readers revealed a much murkier picture. In the month of December, SNN asked our readership — which includes executives and other leaders at operators, […]
A small group of nursing home residents in New York City has seen concrete improvements in pain management and other medical issues through the use of medical marijuana — and as the drug becomes legal in more jurisdictions, the SNF residents of the future may come to expect it as part of their care plans. […]
The partial government shutdown has brought a multi-billion-dollar program for skilled nursing facility acquisitions and refinances to a halt, and the backlog could complicate deals long after the impasse eventually ends. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has stopped endorsing loans, the final step toward closing deals through the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) […]
New York State Senator Rob Ortt said in late December that he would propose a package of bills aimed at strengthening nursing home oversight in the Empire State. The move was sparked by a series of stories published by The Buffalo News on problems at local nursing homes, as well as by complaints Ortt received […]
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