Articles and Blogs

On October 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California Senate Bill 172 into law (“Act”). The Act, known as the “Keep Our Seniors Safe Act,” makes changes to California’s Health and Safety Code by adding firearm storage requirements for firearms that are held by California residential care facilities for the elderly, more commonly known... READ MORE

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) is revising its Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating System to add a red alert icon to a skilled nursing facility’s profile if the facility has had a high-level abuse citation and/or repeat abuse citations. Changes to CMS Nursing Home Compare Website On October 7, 2019, CMS... READ MORE

With the October 1, 2019 beginning date now past for Patient Driven Payment Model (“PDPM”), the new skilled nursing case-mix classification mode under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (“SNF PPS”) for classifying SNF patients in a covered Medicare Part A stay, providers need to consider several key legal and compliance program considerations... READ MORE

Beginning on November 28, 2019, surveyors will use the requirements detailed in 42 C.F.R. Section 483.80 of the Code of Federal Regulations Requirements for States and Long-Term Care Facilities (“Final Regulations”) to determine whether a skilled nursing facility (“Facility”) has an infection preventionist on staff who is a primary professional trained in nursing, medical... READ MORE

On July 18, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published final regulations titled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Revision of Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities: Arbitration Agreements” (“Final Regulations”) to Part 483 to Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations the Requirements for States and Long-Term Care Facilities. The Final Regulations... READ MORE