Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The National Government Services (NGS) supports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) announcements that suggest Medicare patients get their flu and pneumonia shots. Medicare patients should remain current with flu, pneumonia and other vaccinations, according to NGS. A high-dose flu vaccine should be given to people who […]
President Donald Trump’s plan to defer payroll taxes for many employees through the end of the year is sparking questions and criticism from employers—questions about how to implement the plan and criticism that the “tax holiday” may hurt more than it helps. On August 8, Trump issued a memorandum providing for the deferral of payroll […]
CMS released additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Medicare providers regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Provider Relief fund and Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program payments. These are also commonly referred to as “coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief payments.” These FAQs cover how to report provider relief fund payments, uninsured charges […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced August 31 the expanded use of rapid point-of-care antigen tests at SNFs under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). Previously, some states banned the use of rapid point-of-care antigen tests at SNFs, but the new guidance from HHS overrules state bans. “This PREP […]
Self-reported quality metrics from SNFs don’t align with hospital diagnoses for some quality measures, a new report shows. Most noticeably, pressure ulcers were vastly underreported by more than half of SNFs, according to the report from Integra Med Analytics. “The median ratio of the self-reported and hospital-based pressure ulcer rates was 0.48, indicating that over […]
CMS recently posted a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Home Health PPS Grouper Software. The Home Health Grouper, released Aug. 7, contains acceptable primary diagnoses and the high comorbidity and low comorbidity adjustments for the new FY2021 codes — set to take effect Oct. 1. The FAQs include several questions about the grouper’s […]
Long-term care Reta Underwood gives us the highlights on the finalized SNF FY2021 payment rule from CMS. Subscribe on SoundCloud, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Post-Acute Advisor · SNF FY2021 Final Payment Rule with Reta Underwood
CMS implemented stricter COVID-19 testing requirements for nursing homes on August 25. Routine staff testing, which was previously just recommended, is now a requirement for participation for Medicare and Medicaid. The required frequency of staff testing will be based on the degree of community spread surrounding a facility. Further guidance on frequency of testing will […]
A recently released bulletin provides state agencies and other interested stakeholders with information about available federal resources that may help patients in rural areas remain in their homes. The bulletin was a joint effort by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department […]
The federal government announced that a stockpile of N95 respirators will soon be released to nursing homes and other healthcare agencies. Each state is expected to receive approximately seven million masks from the stockpile that currently holds 44 million masks, with another 500 million on order. Some masks, however, will be available for purchase in […]