2+ day, 3+ hour ago  (1254+ words) Changes to a key component of the Patient Driven Payment Model remain in limbo two years after they were first proposed, but federal regulators are still poised to refine the system to accommodate for unexpected spending and evolving patient needs....

1+ week, 1+ day ago  (364+ words) A close relative with a recent health emergency faced the Medicare Advantage (MA) wall that we experience multiple times a day. After an ER visit that sent her home with "mild COVID, she began to decline at home. Her sons…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago  (313+ words) Credit to my colleague Jim Berklan for his clear-eyed take on last Thursday's PACS Group earnings call." He nailed the headline numbers. But what stuck with me after reading his story was something quieter, something bigger: a change in the…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (814+ words) In post-acute care, Medicare is not an abstract federal program. It is Mrs. Thompson's therapy after a hip fracture. It is Mr. Alvarez's swallow evaluation after a stroke. It is oxygen delivered to a home so someone can breathe a…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (575+ words) Civil monetary penalties can significantly reduce provider margins, increase short-term debt and threaten fiscal stability " especially when they strip providers of the equivalent of a full day's operating expenses or more. Those are the conclusions of a new study reviewing…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (672+ words) Federal regulators have thrown nursing homes in several states a short funding lifeline, but operators will still lose millions of dollars starting next year thanks to the phaseout of provider taxes on managed care organizations. While nursing home provider taxes…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago  (684+ words) The latest refresh of skilled nursing facilities" quality data includes the initial public reporting of new patient transfer and vaccination measures, reflecting future emphasis for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In the Quality Reporting Program, providers must submit 90% of…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago  (772+ words) In long-term care, few changes feel more consequential than altering how medications are administered. Medication passes are not just a task; they are deeply tied to assessment, observation and relationship. For many clinical leaders, the idea of introducing a personal…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago  (384+ words) Nursing homes that raise caregiver wages to stay competitive need help from both industry stakeholders and rulemakers in order to stay "financially viable" in the short run, researchers say. A $1 increase in hourly registered nurse wages was associated with a…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago  (262+ words) About 2.9 million people, or an estimated 1 in 10 Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees, will be disenrolled from their plans in 2026, according to a February research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association." This included 752,091 plan county observations representing 192,675,082 enrollee-years…...