Garlo Ward, P.C.

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GAO Gives Troubling Report Regarding Lack of End-of-Life Visits by Hospice

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    CMS arranged and paid for an investigation by the  U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to look at quality measures pertaining to Hospice which found troubling results.  Previously, the OIG had identified "that 18 percent of all hospices in a nationwide survey had serious deficiencies, like failing to vet staff."   The GAO report concluded that ..."eighty for-profits failed to send registered nurses, physicians or nurse practitioners to visit discharged patients even … [Read more...] about GAO Gives Troubling Report Regarding Lack of End-of-Life Visits by Hospice

Google Takes over Fitbit

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I love my Fitbit.  I has helped me become very disciplined.  Google is taking over the company and privacy activists are concerned.  What do you think? "Over the past three years, Google's experiments in using artificial intelligence and medical data have resulted in government complaints and lawsuits because critics say patient privacy wasn't protected. In one case, Google was provided with identifiable patient information that included doctors' notes and date stamps." … [Read more...] about Google Takes over Fitbit

Monitoring Home Health & Hospice Employees

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I have had clients call me upset that documentation from employees reflected visits to patients that patients or their families say never happened.  Technology continues to assist owners of these businesses to monitor and confirm visits and care. "As a real-time, GPS-enabled care management delivery solution, Visit Path verifies where and when a hospice or home health field nurse is on duty, begins service for a client, when they complete service and when they are off duty. This verification of … [Read more...] about Monitoring Home Health & Hospice Employees

Bill Approved to Repeal Federal Law Stripping Students of College Financial Aid for Drug Convictions.

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  The House Education & Labor Committee has approved a bill to repeal a federal law which made college students ineligible for financial aid due to drug convictions.  It also clarifies a previous rolling back of the penalties passed in 2006.  The reasoning of the committee is as follows: Critics have argued that blocking people from being able to pursue a college degree is a counterproductive way to respond to substance use and misuse issues. “The best possible intervention for a … [Read more...] about Bill Approved to Repeal Federal Law Stripping Students of College Financial Aid for Drug Convictions.

Expected Passage of Marijuana Banking Bill by House

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  The head of the American Banker's Association is predicting that the U.S. House of Representatives will pass legislation allowing banks to service the business of companies in states where marijuana products are legal: "In an interview on the podcast Engage with Andy Busch that was released on Friday, ABA CEO Rob Nichols said that his group will be actively lobbying for the bipartisan cannabis banking bill in order to provide clarity to financial institutions that currently worry that … [Read more...] about Expected Passage of Marijuana Banking Bill by House

Nursing Facility Rehabilitation Services & Best Practices Provider Letter–Texas

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  Based on the OIG Audit Report: Financial Impact of Clustering Therapy Services During MDS Assessment Look-Back Periods for Texas Medicaid Residents of Long-Term Care Nursing Facilities, Texas HHS has issued a provider letter for Nursing facilities outlining best practices: ? Resident functional declines that do not warrant a significant change in status assessment (SCSA) should be clearly documented in the clinical record to support therapy evaluation and treatment orders. ? … [Read more...] about Nursing Facility Rehabilitation Services & Best Practices Provider Letter–Texas

Second Texas Marijuana Policy Conference This Labor Day Weekend

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The Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy are holding the second Texas Marijuana Policy Conference this weekend in Austin, Texas.  A broad range of speakers will participate.  Many of the courses will address legal issues.  The schedule is here. … [Read more...] about Second Texas Marijuana Policy Conference This Labor Day Weekend

DEA to Finally Take Action on Marijuana Grower Applications

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  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on Monday that is is taking steps to expand the number of federally authorized marijuana manufacturers for research purposes. In the three years since DEA first said it would be accepting applications for cannabis manufacturers, the agency has received 33 submissions. In a notice of applications set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, DEA said the “unprecedented” volume of inquiries makes it necessary to develop new … [Read more...] about DEA to Finally Take Action on Marijuana Grower Applications