Texas Register: Medicaid Coverage for Customized Power Wheelchairs

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced in the February 16 Texas Register its intent to submit an amendment that would add customized power wheelchairs for Medicaid-eligible recipients living in nursing facilities to Medicaid coverage under the state plan. The estimated cost for the coverage is about $2.5 million for fiscal year 2007.
For more [...]

DOL Announces Grants for Long Term Care Industry

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will spend more than $43 million dealing with shortages in the health care industry, including long term care. (Source)
On several occasions, I’ve blogged about the shortage of nurses and geriatric physicians. As baby boomers retire and age, many will need long term care, which will put pressure [...]

Long Term Care Associations Sound Off On Budget Cuts

Fiscal Year 2008 Medicare funding for skilled nursing facilities will be cut by more than $10 billion over five years, and long term care associations are seeing red.
Medicare and Medicaid cover close to 80 percent of nursing home patients. According to the American Health Care Association (AHCA), which represents long term care providers, [...]

Provider Letters: Survey Notice and Criminal History Review

In a letter dated February 13, the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) alerted Intermediate Care Facility for Persons with Mental Retardation (ICF-MR) Providers about its annual Long-Term Services and Supports Experience Survey 2007 Project.
A random sample of recipients who receive long-term services through ICF-MRs will be interviewed by the NACES Plus Foundation, [...]

CMS Medicare Reimbursements to Texas Specialty Hospital Questioned

Lawmakers in Congress are questioning reimbursements to certain physician-owned specialty hospitals, which they claim cut corners on basic care to save money. (Source)
Senator Charles Grassley, highest ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, told the Houston Chronicle, “The fundamental problem with physician-owned specialty hospitals is that decision-making is more likely driven by financial interests [...]

Texas Register: Consumer Directed Services

On behalf of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), the Texas Health and Human Services Commission adopted amendments that would allow an individual receiving services through the Home and Community-based Services Program to participate in the consumer directed services option (CDS), which is “a service delivery option in which an individual or [...]

Provider Letter: Electronic Letters Only

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services announced that effective March 15, 2007, it will no longer mail hard copies of general information letters regarding Home and Community-based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living programs (TxHmL) to program providers and mental retardation authorities (MRA).
You may download HCS letters here and TxHmL letters here.
For more [...]

Is Medicaid Proof-of-Citizenship Law Backfiring?

According to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the new Medicaid proof-of-citizenship law is having unintended consequences.
Last year, Congress passed a law requiring Medicaid beneficiaries and applicants to prove U.S. citizenship before receiving care. The law was intended to curb fraud in the Medicaid program and prevent illegal aliens, [...]

More Medicare Part D Fall-Out for Pharmacists

Last year I blogged about a group of Texas pharmacists (independent operators) lobbying the White House for reimbursement for Medicare Part D prescription drugs. (See Texas Pharmacists Lobby White House)
The pharmacists were not receiving sufficient reimbursement to make up for the millions of dollars worth of drugs they gave to Part D patients for free, [...]

What’s Up At The Legislature?

The following are some filed bills that may interest you:
SB 131 by West (D-Dallas) Requiring that for at least two unannounced inspections each licensing period, DADS would be required to invite someone from the facility’s family council to participate. A family council member would also be required to sit in at the exit conference and [...]

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