GAO Report: Medicare Reps Give Bad Information
May 11, 2006 by Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Filed under Medicare Part D
According to a new report (PDF) by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), customer service representatives at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) often give inaccurate information to beneficiaries, and CMS documents are needlessly complicated, loaded with technical jargon. GAO investigators called CMS operators while posing as beneficiaries. According to the report’s abstract, representatives [...]
Provider Letter: Preadmission Screening and Resident Review
May 9, 2006 by Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Filed under Nursing Homes
In a provider letter dated May 5, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services reminds federally-funded nursing facility providers that rules at 40 TAC ยง19.2500 require that they screen potential new admissions to determine if there are indicators of mental retardation. Whether the admittees pay through Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, or private pay, screening [...]
Medicare Bankrupt By 2018?
May 5, 2006 by Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Filed under Current Events, Medicare
According to the trustees who monitor Medicare and Social Security, the trust fund that supports Medicare will be out of money by 2018. The main reason appears to be rising health care costs. (Washington Post) Medicare and Social Security are funded through payroll taxes, so expect those to increase in the near future to compensate [...]
Mandatory Background Checks for LTC Employees in Michigan
May 4, 2006 by Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Filed under Nursing Homes, Quality Assurance
In a move designed to improve standards in long term care facilities, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed a measure earlier this year that requires nursing homes and other assisted living facilities to conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees, the Michigan Long Term Care Partnership Workforce Background Check. (WILX News) At the web site, [...]
Provider Letter: ACDs for Residents of Nursing Facilities
May 4, 2006 by Jerri Lynn Ward, J.D.
Filed under Nursing Homes
In a letter dated April 28, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) announced a change regarding funding for Assistive Communication Devices (ACDs). Effective April 1, nursing facilities will be allowed to request reimbursement for ACDs for Medicaid-eligible residents under the following conditions: Obtain from a speech-language therapist licensed in Texas an evaluation [...]
CMS & DADS Instruct Facilities To Improve Documentation of CNA Training and Performance Reviews.
May 1, 2006 by Dana Stripling, J.D., Of Counsel
Filed under Employment Issues
Facilities need to document and organize nurse aide performance reviews and in-service education for easy identification and tracking.
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