Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
The OIG announced plans to investigate whether nursing homes are following proper protocol when discharging and evicting residents. The OIG found that discharges and evictions were the most common compliant submitted to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program from 2011 to 2016. “Discharges which violate federal regulations are of great concern because in some cases they […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a new rule November 4 that would require a review of rules every 10 years “to determine whether the regulation is still needed and whether it is having appropriate impacts,” according to a release. Under the proposed rule, any regulation issued by HHS, with certain exceptions, […]
As some employees return from working remotely and others continue to work from their facility, there are many regulations and policies that managers and supervisors need to instate to ensure employee health and safety. New federal, state, and local health and safety requirements continue to evolve as companies remain laser-focused on providing a safe working environment for all. […]
CMS announced an organizational change to help reduce provider and clinician burden and improve patient outcomes during this time. This change is through the creation of the Office of Burden Reduction and Health Informatics. The new office is an outgrowth of the federal agency’s Patients over Paperwork (PoP) Initiative, which is the cornerstone of CMS’ […]
A class-action lawsuit filed by 14 SNF residents in 2011 challenging the Medicare three-day rule saw its first day in court on August 12. The lawsuit addresses the rule requiring residents to be admitted to an acute-care hospital for a minimum of three days prior to entering a SNF to receive Medicare coverage. The residents […]
In an effort to reduce burden, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS are seeking to update regulations around nondiscrimination outlined in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register June 14. It would make “substantial revisions” to Section 1557 of the ACA by eliminating “provisions […]
It’s official: According to CMS’ Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) final rule published in the Federal Register yesterday evening, the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM)—the new case-mix methodology to replace RUG-IV)—is effective October 1, 2018. Facilities will have a year to transition to PDPM from RUG-IV by the October 1, 2019 implementation date. […]
The evolving post-acute care industry landscape introduces greater accountability, a heightened focus on patient outcomes, and significant payment reform for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Building solid processes and systems is critical for staying compliant under the numerous Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory changes effective at the beginning of each new fiscal year. […]
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held their public meeting over two days this week at the Ronald Reagan Building, International Trade Center in Washington to discuss multiple topics impacting post-acute care. The meeting agenda included the following: Medicare Advantage encounter data validation and potential uses: ISSUE: During public sessions, Commissioners regularly highlight situations in […]
To satisfy requirements of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act), CMS has contracted with RTI International and Abt Associates to develop quality measures for the transfer of health information and care preferences domain that may be used in post-acute care settings such as skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehab facilities, long-term […]