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
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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
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?
Improving Nursing Home Staffing Levels Can And Must Be Done
As 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 progress by arguing that almost all facilities would need to … [Read more...] about Improving Nursing Home Staffing Levels Can And Must Be Done
CMA Senior Policy Atty. Kata Kertesz Publishes Article on Need for Medigap Protections
Center for Medicare Advocacy Senior Policy Attorney Kata Kertesz had her article, “Expansions of Medigap Consumer Protections are Necessary to Promote Health Equity in the Medicare Program,” published last week in the Stetson University College of … [Read more...] about CMA Senior Policy Atty. Kata Kertesz Publishes Article on Need for Medigap Protections
Special Report | Nursing Home Closures: Causes and Solutions
Nursing home closures are not a new phenomenon. Nursing home owners, executives, and their trade associations, however, treat closures like a new problem that threatens residents. They predict that many more facilities will close if they … [Read more...] about Special Report | Nursing Home Closures: Causes and Solutions
New York State’s For-Profit Nursing Facilities’ Related-Party Transactions Hide High Profits
A new report by the Empire Center (an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank based in Albany, New York) finds that nearly three-quarters of New York’s for-profit nursing facilities (72%) “structure themselves as networks of interlocking … [Read more...] about New York State’s For-Profit Nursing Facilities’ Related-Party Transactions Hide High Profits