Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
As we turn the corner into 2022, many HR departments are feeling the effects of the job market. Recruiting is taking more energy, the interview process is dragging out, and job candidates are requesting more and more benefits before finally saying yes. If your company is understaffed, it puts stress on your employees, adding to […]
A CMS mandate on COVID-19 vaccines has been put on hold in 10 states by a federal judge Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. The vaccine requirement for employees at certified Medicare and Medicaid providers was introduced in early November, with two deadlines: By Dec. 6, 2021, employees should have had their first shot or single shot […]
Over the pandemic, nursing home surveys fell behind because COVID-19 restrictions, creating a backlog for survey agencies (SAs). CMS is taking the following steps which will allow SAs to focus their efforts on identifying concerns for all aspects of quality of care, quality of life, and ensuring health and safety, as outlined in their guidance: […]
The COVID-19 outbreak has affected almost every area of our pre-pandemic “normal” lives including more telework, a surging demand for toilet paper, and a shrinking workforce, just to name a few. Almost no industry has been spared when it comes to the contagious disease’s impact. In particular, cyberattacks are on the rise in nearly every […]
Q: We’re looking for ways to bring our CDI and coding teams together to improve documentation and coding for appropriate Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) capture. Are there any recommended models and should other departments or individuals be working alongside them? A: Fine-tuning coding and documentation to support accurate HCCs is a team effort. The coding […]
Living through a pandemic has taught us many things, chief among them being that just when you think you’ve adapted to a new normal, it’s already changed. Viruses evolve, as do our responses. Today, we have a better understanding of how the virus spreads and vaccines that are effective and readily available. But we’re also […]
The Choose Home Care Act, legislation that aims to give Americans a choice on where to recover after a hospital discharge, was introduced into the House of Representatives on October 8. The bipartisan bill would create an add-on payment to traditional Medicare home health benefits for patients 30 days after hospital discharge. “Since being introduced […]
In a recent survey of 1,183 nursing homes conducted by the American Health Care Association and National Center of Assisted Living, 58% of respondents indicated that they are limiting new resident admissions because of staff shortages. Additionally, the survey found that nearly every nursing home is asking staff to work overtime and cover extra shifts. […]
In a year that’s been rife with disasters, including fires, hurricanes, and heat waves, it’s as important as ever for SNFs to brush up on their emergency preparedness plan. CMS’ emergency preparedness (EP) final rule, was enacted November 16, 2016. Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual provides interpretive guidance to the final rule that […]
Long-term care expert Stefanie Corbett discusses COVID vaccine mandates, boosters, and other infection control compliance to keep in mind. We also discuss where SNFs should focus their efforts to avoid dips in revenue and compliance issues, specifically the False Claims Act. Stefanie is a health policy educator, consultant, researcher, and author. She is the owner […]