Because of the state’s shortage of nursing homes, seniors in Northern Kentucky are moving across the Ohio River to facilities in southwest Ohio. And Ohio taxpayers are footing more than half the bill for many of these displaced Kentucky Medicaid residents. Read More »
If the employer insurance mandate gets a one-year postponement, so should the individual insurance mandate, says House Speaker John Boehner. Read More »
Everyone wants to be a star—even nursing facilities. It’s good for residents, families, staff and business to be on the top tiers of satisfaction. Although Medicare's Five-Star Rating System isn’t perfect and has its detractors, it has been effective, according to a recent study. Read More »
Advocates for seniors in Iowa want answers to how Medicaid money is spent. Meanwhile the Iowa Department of Human Resources isn’t ready to take a stand on disclosure. Read More »
A new payment proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could impact the reimbursements for long-term care hospitals, post-acute care and rehab facilities. Read More »
Washington correspondent Bob Gatty shares his recent conversation with Mark Parkinson, AHCA president/CEO, on LTC's efforts to bring equitable solutions to Washington's challenges. Read More »
There’s a brand-new imaging test available to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s so expensive that CMS is limiting the Medicare coverage of the test to two circumstances. Read More »
The Obama administration changed course on July 2 on a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, when it announced a one-year delay in the ACA’s employer mandate requiring provision of health insurance to employees. Corporations had objected to the mandate, which will now take effect in January 2015. Read More »
While LGBT couples are celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision that they should receive the same rights and benefits as straight married couples, they might not be too happy with some of the financials. Read More »
As the Fair Labor Standards Act turns 75, a large segment of long-term care’s workforce is the subject of debate concerning minimum wage and overtime laws. Will federal efforts to provide minimum wage and overtime protection undermine a home health agency's core business? Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services launches a completely redesigned website ready to answer questions and assist in planning for this fall’s switch to the Health Insurance Marketplace (formerly Health Insurance Exchange). Read More »
A serious fall at home can have far-reaching consequences to a senior’s quality of life. A government-funded study will look into ways to reduce or prevent the instances of debilitating falls in community-dwelling seniors. Long-term care providers are asked to help. Read More »
CMS’ plans for payment reform designed to cut costs in the post-acute sector for the FY2014 budget may be a cause of concern for the long-term care industry. Read More »
Even people with criminal histories grow old; others have served their time and need to work. Caroline Berdzik, Esq, offers some tips to follow in this tricky situation. Read More »
When the CLASS Act was kicked off the “fiscal cliff,” Congress established the Commission on Long-Term Care to serve in its stead. With a six-month lifespan, is the Commission a boon or a boondoggle? Read More »
Were the residents' eggs served runny or undercooked? Ambiguity in language convinces an Appeals Court to reverse a noncompliance ruling in a recent case where CMS had accused a nursing home of poor food preparation. Read More »
CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner launches another effort to identify and prevent Medicare fraud, waste and abuse by using seniors as the agency's "eyes and ears." Read More »
Those who have difficulty affording their medications may alter their doseage, skip doses or never fill the prescription at all--increasing the risk of a trip to the ER. Read More »
No federal training standards exist for personal care aides employed through publicly funded programs. A new report takes a state-by-state look at the inconsistencies of education for these direct-care workers. Read More »
To help defray long-term care costs, Texas seniors about to apply for Medicaid can cash in their life insurance policies to cover the costs of long-term care. Read More »
The new American Health Care Association will be a major force in Washington as it focuses on the challenges and issues of providing long-term care for America’s millions of elderly persons. Read More »
New CMS guidelines take a deeper look at discharge planning, clarifying who is responsible for what at the time of discharge and why discharge planning is a key to reducing 30-day readmissions. Read More »
Earlier this month, long-term care leaders briefed Congress on the positive accomplishments and future goals to improving quality of care in skilled nursing facilities. Read More »
CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announces a significantly smaller and more-focused project list for Round Two of the funding awards. Read More »
