Social media is a vital part of everyone’s lives today on both a professional and a personal level. For human resource professionals, however, there exists some confusion about what constitutes a permissible social media policy or rule and what an employee can safely “post” on a social media website about his or her employer without being subject to discipline and/or termination.

Sexual harassment is a difficult issue in any employment setting, but perhaps nowhere is it more problematic than in the resident care arena. Nursing home employees, including nurses and therapists, are in regular, physical contact with non-employees—primarily the residents for whom they care (and the family members of those residents).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released its Work Plan for 2013. The publication summarizes the new and ongoing reviews that OIG plans to pursue with respect to HHS programs. The purpose of the Work Plan is to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the health and welfare of their beneficiaries.

The approximately 1,900 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in the United States are currently grappling with issues relating to fair housing and reasonable accommodation due to the unique nature of the CCRC model.

The new National Fraud Prevention Program is based on a data-mining tool known as predictive modeling, which, according to Peter Budetti, director of CMS’ Center for Program Integrity, utilizes a “twin pillars” approach: On the one side is a largely claims-based analytic system that incorporates a wide range of information for the purpose of identifying unusual patterns, while on the other side it screens providers in “a very efficient manner.”

In a move that could be a harbinger for similar legislative changes across the country, the bellwether state of New York recently amended portions of its Public Health Law (PHL) in a way that seems to invite more litigation against nursing home providers.

A Feb. 21 opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the validity and enforceability of pre-dispute arbitration agreements between nursing facilities and their residents.

Medicare beneficiaries and their families have filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government to stop the “observation stay” process that the group says deprives beneficiaries of Medicare Part A coverage for their hospital stay and after care in post-acute care facilities.

Stay on top of the list of excluded individuals and health care entities as OIG and others intensify enforcement activities.

Thorough documentation, arbitration agreements can help to stem the tide.

A legal expert examines the benefits and potential pitfalls of utilizing global positioning systems to monitor residents.

It may now be easier to find information about prospects on the Internet, but being able to use it is another story.

OIG shines a spotlight on provider relationships with long term care pharmacies and scrutinizes contract pricing structures.

Under the government’s microscope now more than ever, providers must take steps to ensure compliance under Medicare and Medicaid.

Selling your facility to a new entity in order to get a fresh start leaving a facility behind does not guarantee a release from its liabilities.