Articles and Blogs

On March 1, 2022, President Biden outlined his plan to increase the quality of patient care, resident safety, regulations, fines and ownership transparency in skilled nursing care during his State of the Union address. The day before, on February 28, 2022, President Biden released a fact sheet titled “FACT SHEET: Protecting Seniors and People... READ MORE

On September 28, 2020, the Quality, Safety & Oversight Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a memorandum entitled “Guidance related to the Emergency Preparedness Testing Exercise Requirements- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” (“QSO Memo”) that confirms that certain testing and training exemptions are available based on activation of emergency plans and the... READ MORE

In an effort to ensure that skilled nursing homes (“SNFs”) can quickly and regularly test residents and staff for COVID-19, HHS announced the procurement of U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized rapid point-of-care diagnostic test instruments and tests to be distributed to SNFs. HHS intends to initially distribute antigen testing instrument systems and tests... READ MORE

Skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) are facing many challenges as they reopen their communities to visitors. State health departments are issuing guidance on outdoor SNF visits and phased reopening of businesses. On June 24, 2020, CMS released visitor guidance in the form of several pages of FAQs “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Nursing Home Visitation”... READ MORE

Skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) are facing many challenges as their residents and staff encounter COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and state departments of health have focused on infection control surveys, programs, and prevention. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Preparedness and Response... READ MORE

Skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) have two new areas of focus from the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) – infection control and tracking their use of CARES Act provider relief funds. OIG Work Plan Update: Infection Control Recently, the OIG updated its Work Plan, to add audit of... READ MORE

The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that it will begin to deliver nearly $4.9 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Provider Relief Fund (sometimes referred to as the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund) on May 22, 2020 to skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”). Purpose? HHS intends for SNFs to... READ MORE

States like Indiana, Connecticut and Maine are offering to pay nursing homes a higher per diem for COVID-19 presumptive residents or a higher percentage reimbursement rate if a nursing home qualifies as a “COVID-19 ready” facility, as discussed in our recent article here. As nursing homes assess, plan for and take actions to qualify... READ MORE

President Obama introduced his fiscal year (“FY”) 2015 budget yesterday, and there are many proposed cuts to post-acute care providers.  Some of the highlights include a number of bundled payment initiatives, a $100 co-pay for home health patients not discharged from a hospital and re-admission penalties for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) with high hospital... READ MORE

On October 30, two Medicare Administrative Contractors, Palmetto GBA and CGS, announced their intent to focus on certain hospice claims for patients located in Skilled Nursing Facilities (“SNFs”). Palmetto GBA announced that it has identified top providers with a large number of beneficiaries receiving hospice services in SNFs, and it intends to initiate a... READ MORE