A new white paper says the spread of telehealth will rise or fall on the ability of such systems to be interoperable throughout care settings.

The new proposed 2020 payment rule will include a net 2.5 percent increase in payments for SNF providers, says CMS.

A health information technology expert says the news that Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit now enables health care entities to transmit protected health information should be approached with caution by providers.

The nation’s skilled nursing providers “have committed their lives to taking care of seniors” and paved the way for dramatic quality improvements, said AHCA’s Mark Parkinson in a statement regarding the Verma message.

Skilled nursing occupancy increases slightly from the fourth quarter of 2018, while assisted living occupancy also gains slightly from its all-time low.

The issue could be drawn out considering the state-by-state nature of seeking the waivers and the expected legal challenges in doing so.

New updates from CMS describe how the Patient-Driven Payment Model will classify patients in a Medicare Part A stay.

CMS has finalized updates it says will increase competition among Medicare Advantage plans by enlarging the list of options they can pay for, as the agency broadens the definition of supplemental benefits.

A month before changes to the Five-Star Rating system on the Nursing Home Compare website go into effect, SNFs are focusing on how the CMS revisions will impact their scores.

A dozen long term and post-acute care state associations affiliated with the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living have joined together to tackle the ongoing problem of recruiting caregivers.

Long term and post-acute care experts are calling for the expansion of MA plans to periods of at least three years.

The 2014 regulation has sought to define the characteristics of settings that are community-based, in contrast to those with qualities of an institution, to validate Medicaid funding.

House bill goes beyond previous proposals by providing universal coverage for long term care and care for people with disabilities.

The 2019 Provider magazine LED Talks featured stories of heroism, corporate resiliency, and unconventional thinking in long term and post-acute care.

The purpose of ACHCA’s award is to recognize an individual who has promoted positive public awareness related to the field of post-acute and aging services.

Fresh data from NIC point to a stabilization of SNF occupancy levels nationwide after four years of decline.

Legislation introduced this week aims to reclassify Medicare patients’ “observation” status.

Staffing shortages and access to background check information were included in discussions at a Senate hearing examining recent incidents of abuse and neglect in nursing facilities.

A Senate Finance Committee hearing scheduled for March 6 will examine the safety of SNFs amid concerns by some in Congress over incidents of abuse and neglect that have made headlines in recent months.

The week’s activities will provide important information about the wide range of professions in the field of aging, raise awareness of older populations, and inform students about academic programs to get them started.

New research says high-need Medicare beneficiaries and dual-eligibles for both Medicare and Medicaid were much more likely to disenroll from Medicare Advantage plans than other beneficiaries.

Legal experts say by mid-August SNFs will have to address some major changes to how they dispose of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals after the EPA issued its final rule.