HHS OIG Warns of Potential Elder Abuse in Skilled Nursing Facilities Connecticut State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr. Joins Center for Medicare Advocacy Advisory Board Jimmo Corrective Action Plan Completed HHS OIG Warns of Potential Elder Abuse … [Read more...] about CMA Alert – OIG Warns of Abuse in SNFs; Ted Kennedy, Jr. Joins CMA Advisory Board; “Jimmo” Corrective Action Plan
Quality of Care
CMA Alert – Joint Replacement Model Undermines Care; OTC Hearing Aids Legislation Passed; More
Care is Compromised Under CMS’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model: A Case In Point Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act Signed into Law Severe Harm if ACA Cost-Sharing Payments End Care is Compromised Under … [Read more...] about CMA Alert – Joint Replacement Model Undermines Care; OTC Hearing Aids Legislation Passed; More
Nursing Home “Advancing Excellence” Quality Program Ends after a Decade
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes, a voluntary program promoted as an effort to improve quality of care in nursing homes, has ended after a decade. Unfortunately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will continue the … [Read more...] about Nursing Home “Advancing Excellence” Quality Program Ends after a Decade
Don’t be Fooled by the Federal Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
In 2014, The New York Times reported that nursing facilities were gaming the Five-Star Quality Rating System on Nursing Home Compare and that “even nursing homes with a history of poor care rate highly in the areas that rely on self-reported … [Read more...] about Don’t be Fooled by the Federal Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
Proper Use of Electronic Health Records Could Enhance Patient Care
If properly utilized, Electronic Health Records (EHR) could increase the quality of care for Medicare’s beneficiaries and lower program costs. EHRs provide the possibility of easy transfer of information between providers, and better patient … [Read more...] about Proper Use of Electronic Health Records Could Enhance Patient Care
Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program for Hospitals: Paying More to Low-Cost Hospitals That Provide Low Quality Care
In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced expansion of Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program for acute care hospitals. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, and as mandated by Congress in the Affordable … [Read more...] about Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program for Hospitals: Paying More to Low-Cost Hospitals That Provide Low Quality Care
New Report Highlights National Epidemic of Medical Errors
By Cynthia Ronzio, Public Health Consultant The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently published a highly controversial and alarming study that claims that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US.[1] The authors used … [Read more...] about New Report Highlights National Epidemic of Medical Errors
Reducing Hospital Readmissions by Addressing the Causes
Reports that 20% or more of unplanned hospital readmissions are avoidable has led to considerable interest in policymakers in reducing readmissions.[1] Actively reducing hospital readmissions is seen as a route to lower Medicare spending and … [Read more...] about Reducing Hospital Readmissions by Addressing the Causes
International Study: Privatization of Long-Term Care Facilities Does Not Lead to Greater Transparency or More Care
A comparison of the long-term care industry in California, Ontario (Canada), England, and Norway evaluates the extent to which ownership of nursing facilities has shifted from the public sector to private for-profit and not-for-profit companies, and … [Read more...] about International Study: Privatization of Long-Term Care Facilities Does Not Lead to Greater Transparency or More Care
RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents
A December 2015 Health Affairs study of freestanding Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) from 2001 thru 2011 found that registered nurses (RNs) were less likely to work at nursing homes with high concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities.[1] This … [Read more...] about RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents