Effective October 1, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a new reimbursement system for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), called Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM).[1] Although CMS intended for PDPM to be … [Read more...] about CMS Delays Adjusting Medicare Rates for Skilled Nursing Facilities to Reflect Changes in Therapy
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Nursing Home Residents Have Private Right of Action to Enforce the Nursing Home Reform Law Against Publicly-Owned Facilities
In Talevski v. Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, et al, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that nursing home residents in publicly-owned facilities enjoy a private right of action to enforce residents’ rights … [Read more...] about Nursing Home Residents Have Private Right of Action to Enforce the Nursing Home Reform Law Against Publicly-Owned Facilities
Report Documents Private Equity’s Role in Ownership of Nursing Facilities
The Private Equity Stakeholder Project documents the ownership of nursing facilities by private equity companies, tracing the ownership histories of some of the largest private equity firms, by name, and describing their quality of care and COVID-19 … [Read more...] about Report Documents Private Equity’s Role in Ownership of Nursing Facilities
Durable Medical Equipment Resources
Medicare defines “Durable Medical Equipment” (DME) as items that are:Durable (Covered items must be able to withstand repeated use. Items that are “single-use” in nature are not covered as DME); andAppropriate for use in the “home” (Primarily … [Read more...] about Durable Medical Equipment Resources
Report Examines High Spending on Medicare Advantage Plans
This week, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released a report entitled “Higher and Faster Growing Spending Per Medicare Advantage Enrollee Adds to Medicare's Solvency and Affordability Challenges” (August 2021).As noted in the … [Read more...] about Report Examines High Spending on Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage Costs and Coverage Concerns
On August 11, 2021, Axios published an article by reporter Bob Herman entitled “Medicare has become more of a private marketplace — and it's costly”. The article is available here. Herman’s article opens as follows:Medicare's open … [Read more...] about Medicare Advantage Costs and Coverage Concerns
Congress Sets the Stage for Important Medicare Improvements
Earlier this week, the Senate passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, followed by a party-line approval of a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint for a reconciliation bill. According to Politico, the budget blueprint, or framework, … [Read more...] about Congress Sets the Stage for Important Medicare Improvements
Article | Making hearing aids affordable isn’t enough. Older adults also need hearing care services
By Frank Lin, Charlotte Yeh, and Christine Cassel Aug. 6, 2021This article was originally published by STAT on www.statnews.com.When Anne Madison noticed her hearing was declining at age 66, she struggled. She had … [Read more...] about Article | Making hearing aids affordable isn’t enough. Older adults also need hearing care services
Senators Introduce Nursing Home Legislation to Improve Quality of Care
The Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Aging Committee Chair Bob Casey (D-PA), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon … [Read more...] about Senators Introduce Nursing Home Legislation to Improve Quality of Care
GAO Issues New Report on Nurse Staffing in Nursing Facilities
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report describing nurse staffing levels in nursing facilities and analyzing the relationship between nurse staffing levels, critical incidents (defined as incidents that lead to … [Read more...] about GAO Issues New Report on Nurse Staffing in Nursing Facilities