In 2013, a federal district court approved a settlement agreement in the case of Jimmo v. Sebelius that confirmed Medicare coverage should be determined by a beneficiary’s need for skilled care, not the individual’s potential for improvement. The … [Read more...] about Updated Factsheet: Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Coverage Does Not Require Improvement
Skilled Nursing Facility
Elder Justice “No Harm” Newsletter | Volume 5, Issue 2 Now Available
In the Elder Justice Newsletter, we highlight citations, including deficiencies related to abuse, neglect, and substandard care, that have been identified as not causing any resident harm. The goal of this brief newsletter is to shed light on the … [Read more...] about Elder Justice “No Harm” Newsletter | Volume 5, Issue 2 Now Available
Health Affairs: International Nurses Won’t Solve U.S. Nurse Staffing Crisis
National nursing home trade associations call for increased immigration as key to solving their shortages in nursing staff. See LeadingAge’s recommendations to the Senate here, American Health Care Association’s letter to CMS Administrator here, and … [Read more...] about Health Affairs: International Nurses Won’t Solve U.S. Nurse Staffing Crisis
Study: Fewer Nurses in Nursing Homes Associated with More Resident Deaths
“Staffing Shortages, Staffing Hours, and Resident Deaths in U.S. Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic” finds that nursing facilities that self-reported nurse staffing shortages in fact had fewer registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and … [Read more...] about Study: Fewer Nurses in Nursing Homes Associated with More Resident Deaths
CMS Says Nursing Home Visitation “is Allowed for All residents at All Times”
Revising its September 2020 in order to align with the ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services confirms: “Visitation is allowed for all residents at all times.” CMS confirms that visitors may … [Read more...] about CMS Says Nursing Home Visitation “is Allowed for All residents at All Times”
Medicare Payments for Skilled Nursing Facility Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) waived the statutory requirement, 42 U.S.C. §1395x(i), limiting Medicare Part A coverage in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to beneficiaries who have a prior … [Read more...] about Medicare Payments for Skilled Nursing Facility Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Federal District Court Affirms: Medicaid Survey Teams Investigating Nursing Home Complaints Need Not Include a Registered Nurse
On remand from the Second Circuit and in a summary judgment decision, Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the federal district court for the Southern District of New York upholds a final rule promulgated in August 2017 permitting nursing home complaint … [Read more...] about Federal District Court Affirms: Medicaid Survey Teams Investigating Nursing Home Complaints Need Not Include a Registered Nurse
CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Part A Reimbursement for Skilled Nursing Facilities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (CMS) proposed annual update to Medicare Part A reimbursement for skilled nursing facilities, published at 88 Federal Register 21316 (Apr. 10, 2023), includes a number of significant changes to … [Read more...] about CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Part A Reimbursement for Skilled Nursing Facilities
Inspector General Audit: Care Compare Did Not Accurately Report Deficiencies at Two-Thirds of Nursing Facilities
Using a random sample of 100 nursing facilities, identified as of August 2020, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports in CMS Did Not Accurately Report on Care Compare One or More Deficiencies Related to Health, Fire Safety, and Emergency … [Read more...] about Inspector General Audit: Care Compare Did Not Accurately Report Deficiencies at Two-Thirds of Nursing Facilities
Investigation Finds Some California Nursing Facilities Experienced “Substantial Increase” in Profits
Although nursing home admission and occupancy rates declined in California nursing facilities between 2019 and 2020, a clinical investigation of data from 828 nursing facilities in 2019 and 887 nursing facilities in 2020 finds that “Some but not all … [Read more...] about Investigation Finds Some California Nursing Facilities Experienced “Substantial Increase” in Profits