As the opening keynote at the Memory Care Forum in Philadelphia, NASL policy guru Cynthia Morton discusses what’s coming next from CMS on long-term care quality measures and how that data might affect your five-star quality rating. Read More »
Are the new Justice Department Elder Justice Task Forces a smokescreen to cut costs? Long-Term Living's politics and policy reporter, Robert Gatty, examines the forces at play in the new initiatives. Read More »
The Department of Justice is cracking down on South Dakota, accusing the state of putting people with disabilities in nursing homes unecessarily rather than providing community-based services. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adds six new quality measures to the Nursing Home Compare system, including data on short-stay residents' trips to the emergency room. Read More »
With the new CMS reporting requirements looming, skilled nursing facilities are gearing up for the mandatory Payroll-Based Journal data transactions for direct-care workers. Read More »
Hospice may see a 2 percent increase in reimbursements in 2017, but new reporting requirements could go into effect as well, according to a new CMS proposal. Read More »
Texas has one of the highest turnover rates for nursing home employees. The facilities are having trouble staying competitive with Wendy’s or McDonald’s, which can offer hourly workers a job with better pay and less stress. Read More »
Medicare is trying a new way of calculating the reimbursement for certain drugs, including expensive drugs to treat cancer. After barely a month, the pilot has riled physicians on both sides of the issue. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will test a new payment model that encourages doctors to focus on health outcomes rather than volume of visits or tests. Read More »
The Department of Justice announced the launch of 10 regional interagency task forces designed to protect seniors in nursing homes by holding operators accountable for the quality of care they provide. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has imposed steep fines and threatened to terminate Woodbriar Health Center from its programs if serious problems are not resolved by next week. Read More »
The Center for Innovation has invested more than $30 million for Indiana University’s project to reduce avoidable hospitalizations for nursing home residents by providing higher levels of care on site. Read More »
From 1994 to 2014, the population of California nursing home residents under age 65 increased by nearly 40 percent. So, too, did the number of reported problems directly related to the resident population mix. Read More »
The new law will require the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs to sort and prioritize those who are receiving long-term care services and those who are waiting for consideration. Read More »
A U.S. Senate Working Group has outlined priorities for improving Medicare delivery to beneficiaries with multiple, complex chronic illnesses while reducing healthcare expenditures. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeks ideas for improving care delivery through a Special Innovation Program and will offer 28 awards totaling $8 million. Statements of Objectives will be available early April. Read More »
The CDC and CMS announced they will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the transition to the new classification system by implementing new diagnosis codes, hospital inpatient procedure codes and revision of existing code titles. Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will test a new payment model for nursing facilities and practitioners to further reduce avoidable hospitalizations and lower Medicare and Medicaid spending while improving patient care. Read More »
A new interactive mapping tool drills down to the state and county levels and reveals where the delivery of Medicare outcomes are falling short across 18 chronic conditions. Read More »
Many seniors’ health goals shift over time, and the focus on quality instead of quantity has some seniors and theri providers saying “no” to certain treatments. Read More »
The data set examines the levels of care performed and resources used in skilled nursing facilities, including how many days are billed as the ultra-expensive “ultra-high rehabilitation.” Read More »
The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) says the new quarterly reports will give senior housing investors more current data to help guide investment decisions. Read More »
Does Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recognize industry improvements? Washington policy expert Robert Gatty looks at whether the government's efforts have been effective. Read More »
The new initiative allows states to request the 90 percent enhanced matching funds to connect more Medicaid providers to a state health information exchange. Read More »
Financing for long-term care services and suppports (LTSS) is in big trouble and needs new financing options that don't push all the burden onto Medicaid. A new report from LeadignAge explores some alternatives. Read More »
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Fee for value payment models: Preparing for tomorrow’s reality
By Louis Lenzmeier, Senior Director, Business Development, MatrixCareBundled payment models are gaining momentum in long-term care as pilot programs begin to show their value. Read about the models that include post-acute care and what they entail for participants. Learn More »
CMS and major insurers will use the core measures to synchronize the way quality care is defined and measured, reducing the reporting burden on providers. Read More »
