Medicare Announces Development of Appeal Process for Certain Hospital “Observation Status” PatientsAs the result of a court case, the Medicare.gov website now alerts a nationwide class of Medicare beneficiaries that they “have appeal rights” when … [Read more...] about CMA Alert | July 28, 2022
Archives for July 2022
Proposed Civil Rights Rule Marks Important Step in Restoring Health Care Protections
This week the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that seeks to restore critical nondiscrimination protections the previous administration rolled back.Section 1557 of the … [Read more...] about Proposed Civil Rights Rule Marks Important Step in Restoring Health Care Protections
Nurse Staffing Study Confirms Nursing Home Resident Deaths Increased When Nurse Staffing Levels Declined During Pandemic
An analysis of “severe outbreaks” of COVID-19 in nursing homes between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2021 finds that “the contemporaneous increase in staffing shortages and resident non-COVID-19-related deaths is consistent with worsened resident … [Read more...] about Nurse Staffing Study Confirms Nursing Home Resident Deaths Increased When Nurse Staffing Levels Declined During Pandemic
CMS Announces Changes to Staffing Measure in Five-Star Rating System; Staffing Ratings Decline for One-Third of Nursing Facilities
Effective July 27, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) includes weekend staffing rates for nurses and information on annual turnover of nurses and administrators as it calculates the staffing measure for the federal website … [Read more...] about CMS Announces Changes to Staffing Measure in Five-Star Rating System; Staffing Ratings Decline for One-Third of Nursing Facilities
Medicare Announces Development of Appeal Process for Certain Hospital “Observation Status” Patients
As the result of a court case, the Medicare.gov website now alerts a nationwide class of Medicare beneficiaries that they “have appeal rights” when a hospital changes their status from inpatient to outpatient observation, and that the appeal process … [Read more...] about Medicare Announces Development of Appeal Process for Certain Hospital “Observation Status” Patients
Issue Brief 75- June 2022 – Medicare & Telehealth Report and Other Issues
TELEHEALTH UPDATE Special Report: Telehealth and the Medicare Population: Building a Foundation for the Virtual Health Care RevolutionAs the United States slowly emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, this exponential expansion of … [Read more...] about Issue Brief 75- June 2022 – Medicare & Telehealth Report and Other Issues
Release of Parity Principles to Optimize Medicare Coverage of Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Care
Congress Urged to Act to Ensure Millions of Medicare Beneficiaries Can Access Life-saving TreatmentFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:July 27, 2022Washington, DC: The Legal Action Center, Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Medicare Rights Center today … [Read more...] about Release of Parity Principles to Optimize Medicare Coverage of Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Care
CMA Alert | July 21, 2022
Improving Nursing Home Staffing Levels Can And Must Be DoneAs the Biden Administration works to develop and implement a standard for minimum nurse staffing levels in nursing facilities,[1] facility owners and executives attempt to derail this … [Read more...] about CMA Alert | July 21, 2022
NEJM Perspective: ACO REACH – A Progressive Value-Based Payment Model, Promoting Equity
In its “A Year in Review June 2021-May 2022,” CMS cites the introduction of the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) model as a key accomplishment in achieving its strategic initiatives. In … [Read more...] about NEJM Perspective: ACO REACH – A Progressive Value-Based Payment Model, Promoting Equity
Where do Health Care Dollars Go?
The health news website Stat reported on July 18, 2022, “The CEOs of approximately 300 health care companies collectively took home more than $4.5 billion in 2021,” which is “seven times what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had to … [Read more...] about Where do Health Care Dollars Go?