The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that delays enforcement of the “two midnight rule” for certain hospital stays as well as creates programs to establish readmission-related measures for skilled nursing facilities and rewards for those facilities that meet them. Read More »
Hospice patients could receive curative care as well as palliative care under a new payment model to be tested by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Here’s how the program would work. Read More »
New research suggests how health policymakers and caregivers can better coordinate the transitions of care that find 22 percent of older adults moving from and among hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care communities and their homes. Read More »
Sufficient staffing is an important, yet overlooked, component in providing quality care to nursing home residents, according to a new analysis. Read More »
Long-term care provider associations express appreciation for the proposed 2015 budget’s support of some senior housing and services but disappointment in potential program cuts. Read More »
An annual report from the Office of Inspector General highlights criminal convictions and recoveries as well as civil settlements and judgments related to nursing facilities, home health agencies and other long-term care and healthcare providers. Read More »
The agency will seek additional input before implementing several controversial proposals affecting the Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Part D prescription drug program. Read More »
As a long-term care provider, you must understand who your clients are, how the regulations govern your businesses and how the regulations and the clients' needs intersect. Six actions may keep you out of trouble. Read More »
As home health and hospice care spending comes under increased scrutiny from the government, providers must make sure their compliance plans evolve to meet federal requirements and their own needs. Read More »
Adverse events related to post-acute care are harming residents and costing the government money, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General, so skilled nursing facilities must find a way to reduce their incidence. Read More »
Members of Maine’s legislature are considering the recommendations of its Long-Term Care Facilities Study Commission as the state grapples with how to pay for the care of its aging population. Read More »
The backlog of cases appealing audit decisions and payment denials has cause CMS to make a radical move: Hit the pause button on the audit program until contractors can catch up. Read More »
Deficiencies and enforcement actions don't always have to be accepted without a challenge. Long-Term Living's legal expert, Alan Horowitz, explains the steps to appealing state survey deficiency reports. Read More »
The Older Americans Act should be reauthorized with a focus on maintaining program flexibility and addressing demographic changes, according to policy and aging experts who testified during a recent government hearing on the matter. Read More »
Long-term and post-acute providers who fail to adopt information technology may find themselves at a distinct disadvantage—or owned by someone else—down the road, one survey report suggests. Read More »
A new study seeks to show the value of home- and community-based care for those with memory disorders, in hopes that more insurers might cover the cost of such programs, leading people away from nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Read More »
A recent report highlights the success of a federal program to transition Medicaid recipients from long-term care facilities to home- and community-based settings, including reinstitutionalization rates and residential preferences of senior participants. Read More »
A bipartisan team of lawmakers has struck a deal to repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and set new guaranteed pay increase for physicians that provide services under Medicare. Read More »
A new federal rule will allow senior care residents and their family designees direct access to lab test results, encouraging consumer care involvement. Read More »
The federal omnibus appropriations bill for 2014 has more than $1 trillion in funding for government programs. See how programs related to long-term care are affected. Read More »
