As the skilled nursing industry steadily moves toward an Oct. 1 deadline for changes to the Minimum Data Set (MDS), operators are stressing the importance of training staff to help accurately code under the new system, a byproduct of the switch to the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM). While details of the most notable shift […]
Dr. Shari Ling, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday confirmed that the agency will release a proposed minimum staffing standard for nursing homes this spring, and said that CMS is taking the comments and the data on staffing very seriously. “CMS is working on and has […]
Occupancy for post-acute care was flat on a month-over-month basis as of April 9, 2023, according to a data analysis from BMO Capital Markets. The news is dimmer for the real estate investment trusts (REITs) covered by the firm, most of which saw sequential declines, according to a note issued Friday. The analysts mapped REIT […]
After visitation in nursing homes was shut down for non-emergency reasons at the onset of the pandemic, some states have taken action to ensure both post-acute and acute care settings allow in-person visits in future – even during a pandemic. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a new bill into law this week to codify visitation […]
The White House today announced that President Biden will enact “the most sweeping set of executive actions to improve care in history,” which will include directives related to nursing home staffing and Medicare payments. Specifically, Biden’s executive order will direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “build on the minimum staffing standards […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday reviewed multiple updates with skilled nursing operators, with agency officials discussing Minimum Data Set changes and the Five-Star Rating System, along with a rundown of changes to its proposed rule. CMS is planning to re-specify some of the measures listed in Five-Star, as they’re tied […]
At least one or more nursing home deficiencies weren’t accurately reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), according to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). A report from OIG based its findings on a random sample size of only 100 nursing homes – there are 15,377 nursing homes nationwide. Based on […]
The latest version of the MDS Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) manual released early Monday contains “substantial revisions,” according to a statement issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In keeping with the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act), the new draft includes standardized assessment items that need to […]
As nursing home closures displace residents across the country, state legislatures are scrambling to place stopgaps for operators, their residents and families facing access issues. The two bills introduced in the Montana legislature last week both stem from closures in the state – 11 in the past year, which is about 16% of the state’s […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended doing away with limits on visitation and group activities at nursing homes and called for more infection prevention research, training and control as well as staffing solutions in a report issued on Monday. The government agency shared these and other recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services […]
As resident falls are still a primary source of financial loss for long-term care providers, researchers and tech companies are continuing to develop and improve on tools that predict the risk of falls. The latest offering in clinical tools that predict falls is a risk prediction model aiming to identify residents of nursing homes at […]
Democratic lawmakers this week penned a letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure workers aren’t overburdened with high caseloads and inadequate support. The legislators, led by U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.), also called on CMS to establish robust nursing home staffing standards to ensure residents receive […]
As the nursing home industry passes the anniversary of sweeping reform initiatives by the Biden Administration, the proposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) budget for 2024 includes new dollars to strengthen federal oversight of the industry. Specifically, the proposal seeks to reserve about $566 million for CMS Survey and Certification Program funding, a […]
As shifting state staffing mandates and looming federal requirements run up against the ongoing nursing home workforce shortage, industry leaders are taking a closer look at how exactly staffing requirements have affected quality of care. AARP Florida on Monday released a report outlining the state’s direct care requirements for the last decade – and how […]
Nursing homes will have an opportunity to test out coding prior to Minimum Data Set changes slated for October, and receive pre-recorded video training this spring, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shared in an open door forum Thursday. The videos will deliver foundational knowledge necessary to understand the new items and guidance, […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday outlined the biggest waivers tied to the public health emergency – including those linked to the three-day inpatient stay requirement and temporary nurse aides – would indeed be ending on May 11. Any sort of permanent implementation of these waivers, would need to be carried […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday a proposed rule to require nursing homes to disclose more information regarding their ownership and management, including information related to assets held by real estate investment trusts (REITs) and private equity firms. Nursing homes will be expected to disclose this information as part of the […]
Preparations for Minimum Data Set (MDS) changes vary from state to state, raising questions about how Medicaid reimbursements will be determined as the clock ticks down to the Oct. 1 start date. The key issue is the removal of Section G, which is used to measure the functional status of residents, from the nursing home […]
In an effort to make nursing home ownership information more transparent and readily available to the public, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started compiling ownership data on Care Compare. But, the agency’s web-based tool falls short of transparency and ease of access goals, according to a study published by the U.S. Government […]
In a move long-awaited by skilled nursing providers, President Joe Biden on Monday announced the public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11 – a month after the current extension expires. The PHE first was declared in 2020 as Covid-19 was first sweeping across the country and was most recently renewed on Jan. 11, […]
