CBS Blogs

Categories

AllBusinessHealthcareMedicareNursing
Executive order clears way for $160M for private nursing home rooms

Facilities in Ohio are one step closer to receiving higher Medicaid reimbursements for private nursing home rooms after an executive order signed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R). The Nov. 30 order declares a timing emergency, allowing the Ohio Department of Medicaid to bypass the typical wait period and immediately adopt final rules for providers looking...

Even as prevalence shrinks, PE chaos tarnishes nursing home sector

The plight of a private-equity backed, multi-state nursing home chain demonstrates the ugly challenges operators could face as officials ratchet up regulatory and transparency pressures and large-scale investors move out of the skilled nursing space. Federal officials have announced they will terminate Medicare payments to Viviant Healthcare of Bristol, TN, on Sunday (Dec. 10). That comes...

Who benefits behind the scenes from high prescription drug prices?

If there’s one thing most Americans still agree on, it’s that the ever-increasing cost of healthcare is simply unsustainable. And while there is plenty of blame to go around, one must look at who benefits behind the scenes from inflated prices — particularly for prescription medications — to really understand the root of the problem....

Older adults falls cost about $50B in medical costs a year, data shows

Taking a spill comes with a financial price tag that varies depending on what state you’re in, according to a new report published by Brooks Rehabilitation, a rehabilitation hospital in Florida. According to the data, the states where fall-related costs are the highest are Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island. In Colorado, Utah and Alaska fall costs are on...

Nurse-led geriatric primary care model offers care benefits for seniors

A new study found that integrating Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training-Primary Care (GITT-PC) can improve primary care for older adults. Essentially, GITT-PC trains healthcare workers to function as a team while integrating geriatric care into primary care settings. It can focus on using nurses instead of doctors. Overall, the model aims to change practices by leveraging...

Senator promises legislation to quash nursing home staffing mandate

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) has pledged to introduce a highly anticipated bill to block the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from implementing its proposed nursing home staffing mandate, although the timing remained unclear Wednesday. Fischer announced her plans in a weekly column posted to her Senate website, saying the legislation would prevent CMS’ “misguided...

State staffing minimums provided motive to falsify nursing home records, witness testifies in ‘ghost employees’ trial

A surveyor’s testimony took the spotlight recently in a criminal fraud trial involving leaders of two nursing homes. Susan Williamson, director of nursing care facilities for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, outlined an alleged pattern of cost-cutting by evading state staffing regulations at two skilled nursing facilities — Mt. Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness and Brighton...