Articles and Blogs

Reimbursement under the new Patient Driven Payment Model, staff background checks, infection control programs, facility-initiated transfer or discharge of a resident and the use of psychotropic drugs are several new skilled nursing facility (“SNF”) areas of audit and focus of Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”). OIG publishes updates... READ MORE

On April 8, 2021, the Quality, Safety & Oversight Group at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a memorandum entitled “Updates to Long-Term Care (LTC) Emergency Regulatory Waivers Issued in Response to COVID-19” (“Blanket Waiver Update Memo”) that announced the termination of several blanket waivers for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) related to resident... READ MORE

On March 13, 2020, the Quality, Safety & Oversight Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a second revision of a memorandum entitled “Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) in nursing homes (REVISED)” (“QSO Memo”) that announced recommendations for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) regarding restricting visitors, transfers... READ MORE

This is another article in a series discussing the complete overhaul of Part 483 to Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the Requirements for States and Long-Term Care Facilities (“Final Regulations”) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”). Hall Render published an overview of Final Regulations components as well as Parts 1,... READ MORE

Review of the New Home Health Conditions of Participation – Patient Rights (part 2). This is the fifth article in a series discussing CMS’s Final Revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (“Final CoPs”). With the release of the Final CoPs, CMS is finalizing the significant changes they proposed to make to the home health... READ MORE

On August 25, 2014, CMS issued a survey transmittal regarding the need for nursing homes to complete a discharge assessment when a resident transfers from a SNF and/or NF certified bed to a non-certified bed in the same facility.  CMS issued this transmittal to reinforce to facilities that discharge assessments are critical to ensure the... READ MORE

Current regulations (42 C.F.R 424.510(e)(1),(2)) require providers and suppliers to agree to receive Medicare payments via Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”) at the time of enrollment, revalidation, change of Medicare contractors or submission of an enrollment change request.  Additionally, the provider or supplier must submit a CMS-588 form to receive Medicare payment via EFT.  Section 1104... READ MORE