Budget negotiations are getting a lot of press, and for good reason. At issue this week is a 1 percent increase in Medicare reimbursement for doctors, and lawmakers are still trying to reach an agreement on Medicare cuts. Meanwhile, doctors and beneficiaries have expressed confusion over Medicare's new prescription drug program, and patients' rights groups have threatened to sue the federal government. President George Bush, however, says the program is a "good deal." From USA … [Read more...] about 2006 Budget Negotiations Continue
New CPR Guidelines From AHA
KidneyNotes.com posts about the new CPR guidelines. As the post notes, the highlights are: *The ratio of compressions-to-ventilations has been changed to 30:2 *Rescuers now deliver 1 shock (360J monophasic) followed by CPR, not 3 shocks *Lay rescuers no longer check for circulation *Many other algorithms have been simplified These are published in the Nov 29, 2005 issue of Circulation. KidneyNotes has formatted some easy links to the above for you to read. Click here to see … [Read more...] about New CPR Guidelines From AHA
MedPAC Opts For No Inflation Adjustment
Just as Medicare funds are being cut in the 2006 budget, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended that Medicare receive no inflation adjustment in 2007. The American Health Care Association and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care have both criticized MedPAC's recommendation: "As many public policymakers recognize, the most prudent way to maintain sustained improvements in nursing home care quality is to ensure long term care funding stability," said … [Read more...] about MedPAC Opts For No Inflation Adjustment
CMS To Automatically Enroll Six Million Dual Eligibles
More Medicare prescription drug program controversy! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will automatically enroll six million U.S. residents eligible for Medicare and Medicaid prescription drug plans who have not selected a plan by January 1, 2006. Dual eligibles not automatically enrolled will still be allowed to fill prescriptions at pharmacies. Consumer groups are concerned about beneficiaries' rights. They've sued the federal government, alleging that "CMS has failed … [Read more...] about CMS To Automatically Enroll Six Million Dual Eligibles
Amended Requirements for Paid Feeding Assistants
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has released an update to Provider Letter #04-11 regarding paid feeding assistant requirements for nursing facilities. The Federal Code of Regulations amends Title 40, ยง19.101, of the Texas Administrative Code to include the definition for "paid feeding assistant." Assistants must have successfully completed the appropriate DADS training curriculum. Paid feeding assistants are allowed to feed residents without "complicated feeding … [Read more...] about Amended Requirements for Paid Feeding Assistants
Clostridium difficile –Some Important Information from MedSleuth
MedSleuth makes some important points about C-Diff and you should all take note of this: Two facts about Clostridium difficile are of increasing concern. First, it is becoming resistant to antibiotic treatment, and second, it is being discovered in otherwise healthy individuals who have neither been hospitalized nor been on antibiotics . MedSleuth goes on to quote some other important facts: In another article in the New England Journal of Medicine, health officials said … [Read more...] about Clostridium difficile –Some Important Information from MedSleuth
New Regulations for Critical Access Hospitals
Last month the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo to state survey agency directors that will affect certain providers. The memo (PDF) contains information about changes to statutory requirements for critical access hospitals (CAH). Instead of paraphrasing, I'll quote from the memo: The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), enacted on December 8, 2003, contained a number of modifications to the CAH statutory requirements … [Read more...] about New Regulations for Critical Access Hospitals
Immunizations for Nursing Home Residents
Nursing home providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid must give residents the opportunity to receive immunizations against influenza and pneumonia. See this memo from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The new rules require that facilities must educate residents about why immunization is important, warn them of the dangers of not being immunized, the right to refuse immunization, etc. By next spring, CMS will provide guidelines for state survey agency directors. In … [Read more...] about Immunizations for Nursing Home Residents
Long Term Care Providers and Foreign Drugs
It goes without saying that long term care providers are allowed to administer drugs to patients, and extra care is required when acquiring, receiving, dispensing and administering foreign prescription drugs. The attached letter (PDF) instructs state survey agency directors on what to do when providers administer foreign drugs. Foreign drugs that purport to be the same as Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs may be substandard and/or dangerous. Providers must make sure that foreign … [Read more...] about Long Term Care Providers and Foreign Drugs
Long Term Care Associations Speak Out
Many Medicare beneficiaries are elderly and most of them will likely have trouble understanding the complicated new drug plan because of age-related cognitive impairments. As a result, long term care providers will need to educate patients about the new plan, which some predict will prove burdensome. Several long term care association members expressed their concerns in this Dallas Morning News article (free registration): The American Health Care Association, which represents … [Read more...] about Long Term Care Associations Speak Out