Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The long-awaited final rule on the revised/new SNF Conditions of Participation has been published in the Federal Register. The public inspection version is available now, including the comments from the Proposed Rule. The final rule will revise the requirements that long-term care facilities must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The effective […]
On September 13th, CMS released data showing that 49 states (all but Vermont) have reduced avoidable hospital readmission rates since 2010. To address the problem of avoidable readmissions, the Affordable Care Act created the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which adjusts payments for hospitals with higher than expected 30-day readmission rates for targeted clinical conditions such as: […]
Affordable Care Act Accountable Care Organization initiatives put patients at the center of their care while generating more than $1.29 billion in total Medicare savings since 2012. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on August 25, 2016, the 2015 performance year results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer Accountable […]
Public comments are due August 26 on standardized assessment-based data items developed under the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act) to meet the domains of: cognitive function and mental status; special services, treatments, and interventions; medical conditions and co-morbidities; and impairments. CMS seeks comments on: Potential for improving quality Utility for […]
Join us on 10/10/16 – 10/11/16 in Davidson (Charlotte), NC Building solid operational and clinical processes is key for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) to stay compliant under the numerous Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory changes effective October 1. The evolving “volume to value” industry landscape brings with it more accountability, higher outcome […]
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) required HHS to establish digital standards for business-related tasks like submitting claims and getting paid. The goal is to reduce paperwork and streamline business processes across the health care system. Standards allow information to be shared digitally in consistent ways. With common standards for content […]
Do you have a great book idea? A topic you feel the industry is lacking education on? If you don’t like writing, but have a great topic idea or pain point you feel the industry needs to be educated about, contact me about speaking in one of our popular webcasts! Email Managing Editor Olivia MacDonald […]
On July 28, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice updating fiscal year (FY) 2017 Medicare payment policies and rates for the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS). The updates for FY 2017 are summarized below. SUMMARY OF PAYMENT UPDATES Update to IPF Payments: CMS estimates IPF payments […]
A new fact sheet is available for the Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) Readmission Measure (SNFRM). The SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program ties portions of SNF payments to performance on this measure, which is calculated by assessing the risk-standardized rate of all-cause, unplanned hospital readmissions for Medicare Fee-For-Service SNF patients within 30 days of discharge from […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will soon launch a series of updates for the HIPAA Administrative Simplification category of the CMS website. The updated pages will feature streamlined content and easier navigation. Please note that the new website will launch with a new URL, so you will need to update any bookmarks that you […]