L
ast week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended the Public Health Emergency (set to expire on January 21) thru April 21.
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SNFs – Are You Leveraging CMS 1135 Waivers
Posted on: January 11, 2021
CMS Announcement: New Repayment Terms for COVID-19 Medicare Loans
Posted on: October 12, 2020
From CMS' press release on October 8, 2020 there are amended terms for repayment on Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) Program. This allows CMS to make advance payments to providers and are typically used in emergencies.
Read MoreInterim Final Rule Released
Posted on: September 1, 2020
On August 25, CMS released an Interim Final Rule that outlined five major provisions applicable for the duration of the public health emergency.
Read MoreFor SNFs Nationwide: An Escalation in COVID-19 Cases
Posted on: August 17, 2020
During a special CMS call for nursing homes on August 13, CMS' Seema Verma reported some grim facts. With the increasing spread of the virus in communities throughout the country, COVID-19 cases in SNFs are also on the rise. With more than 12,000 cases in SNFs and an increasing number of deaths, CMS estimates that 50% of SNFs have at least one COVID-19 case.
Read MoreWhat Does Medicare's Final Rule for FY21 Mean for SNFs?
Posted on: August 3, 2020
With our industry’s focus on the COVID-19 public health emergency, this year’s Final Rule addresses essential policies only, while incorporating some impactful PDPM updates. There is a strong theme emphasizing a continued commitment to keeping providers connected through electronic means to promote the exchange and reuse of patient assessment data. The MDS is at the top of that list with discharge information being critical to ensure necessary medical information is shared and transferred among post hospital settings. The MDS will not have the anticipated major over haul until 2 years from the end of the Public Health Emergency, likely October 2022. This is good news for interdisciplinary teams that have been adjusting to many related changes and communication methods. Accuracy and collaboration remain critical for the current environment as well as future changes.
Read MoreHow to Choose (and Be) a Good Strategic Partner
Posted on: August 29, 2019
Recent CMS initiatives have created an interesting dynamic in the post-acute care industry: Providers across the care continuum are being incentivized to form strategic partnerships and hold each other accountable for delivering efficient, enhanced patient care.
Read MoreGive a Little to Get a Lot: Nursing, PDPM, and Documentation ReDesign
Posted on: April 1, 2019
CEOs, NHAs, and DONs take note! With the new PDPM paradigm, you’ll be asking your nurses to:
- Continue to drive quality measures, star ratings, survey results, satisfaction scores, etc.
- Care for higher acuity patients; and
- Adopt very different documentation practices.
All of these requisites are vitally important to your facility’s success under PDPM. But perhaps the most challenging change for Nursing teams (who really just want to be patient caretakers, right?) will be #3 on this list.
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