Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
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 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 […]
If collaboration isn’t on the tip of your staff’s tongue, it should be. On Wednesday, April 11, 12-3pm, ET, industry experts and seasoned long-term care providers Liz Barlow, BSN, RN, CRRN, RAC-CT, DNS-CT and Renee Kinder, MS, CCC-SLP, RAC-C invite your nursing and therapy staff to participate in a virtual, interactive training workshop that will […]
This article has been republished with permission from the author, Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News. For years, confusion has surrounded the conditions under which older adults can receive physical, occupational and speech therapy covered by Medicare. Services have been terminated for some seniors, such as those with severe cases of multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, […]
Research has found that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease have an elevated level of the protein called Abeta 42. Canadian neuroscientist Dr. Patrick McGeer and his wife, Dr. Edith McGeer, created a saliva test that can determine a person’s level of this protein, which according to McGeer and his team appears in the same elevated levels […]
In a memo addressed to State Survey Agency Directors on March 16, CMS announced their collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to create an online training course in infection control and prevention for long-term care staff. This free course will be available in Spring 2019 and is intended to provide specialized training 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 […]
In an MLN Matters article dated March 16, 2018, CMS instructed providers to make sure their billing staff are aware of changes made to Medicare manuals. CMS stated that these updates to the Medicare manuals are intended only to clarify the existing content and to correct various omissions and minor technical errors. No policy, processing […]
If Collaboration isn’t on the tip of your staff’s tongue, it should be. On Wednesday, April 11, 12-3pm, ET, industry experts and seasoned long-term care providers Liz Barlow, BSN, RN, CRRN, RAC-CT, DNS-CT and Renee Kinder, MS, CCC-SLP, RAC-C invite your nursing and therapy staff to participate in a virtual, interactive training workshop that will […]
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved Shingrix, a Shingles vaccine found to be more effective than Zostavax. All of CVS’ pharmacy locations now carry the vaccine, with the exception of those located in Florida, due to state regulations. Shingrix is covered by many insurers and it is the recommended vaccine for adults over […]