Group leader also said using the Five-Star Rating System to punish facilities by reassigning stars for not following one or two specific CMS regulations undermines the system.

More than half of states reported changes to their assisted living requirements for the second year in a row, highlighting a possible trend.

Advocates for skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities said changes to the current funding system need to meet certain requirements.

The rule requires a seamless exchange of patient information between health care settings, ensuring that patients’ health care information follows them after discharge from a hospital or PAC provider.

A new act would allow SNFs that have been forced to suspend in-house CNA education programs due to receiving a certain level of penalties to resume those programs once quality standards are met.

Banning arbitration agreements would eliminate a fair and efficient legal remedy that provides benefits to patients and providers, says AHCA.

The Green House Project expects to help those providers get knowledge and education to their teams in a proven and thoughtful approach.

HCR ManorCare says that expectations are high for a smooth implementation process, even if exact changes in reimbursement won’t be known immediately.

Skilled nursing centers have been waiting for the latest CMS update as their final piece of regulatory guidance before the PDPM rollover in less than two weeks.

Occupancy in SNFs declined in urban areas but increased slightly in rural zones for the second quarter, according to the report.

The association received more than 600 comments from its members on the proposed rule, and its submission to CMS reflects their views.

New arbitration regulations released earlier in the summer by CMS have gone into effect as of Sept. 16, and separate legal actions concerning arbitration do not impact the implementation process.

NIC conference touches on broader issues and specific trends leaving investor class confident of opportunities in senior sector.

National Institute on Aging along with Boston-based Hebrew SeniorLife to lead a national effort to improve health care and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Nursing centers have processes for cooperation and collaboration with emergency management officials and plans for backup power.

The report finds many state legislatures view telehealth as an opportunity to alleviate strains on physician shortages and overburdened health systems by increasing remote accessibility to care.

Individuals with a mental health disorder accumulated total three-year-adjusted health care costs of $38,250 versus $22,280 for people without such disorders, the study said.

Administrator Verma releases blog post this week offering more details on quality and safety measures for skilled nursing facilities.

In a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, AHCA/NCAL pointed out beneficiaries are unable to access their skilled nursing benefit because of the administrative classification of their hospital stay.

Only two of the 11 states reviewed had put in place all 13 background check program requirements.

The benefit offers many Medicaid beneficiaries—on their own or via providers—access to transportation that otherwise would not be forthcoming.

Three rural SNFs using a model to bring closer clinical scrutiny to patients saw emergency department (ED) trips from their facilities to hospitals decline “substantially.”