Palliative care program is the medical specialty of alleviating pain and improving the quality of life of the seriously ill. Hospice care begins after health treatment for an illness has stopped and the patient is considered terminal. Palliative care can begin as soon as a patient is diagnosed with a serious illness and can continue while the individual pursues a cure.November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospices across the country are reaching out to raise awareness about … [Read more...] about November is National Hospice and Palliative Care month: Its About How You Live!
Physician’s duties increasingly reduced by nurses, long-term care providers for chronically ill
According to news reports a shifting role of physicians is expected to accelerate in the coming decades. Healthcare providers work as a team with health specialist usually overseeing various aspects of a patients care including symptoms and medical history, orders for tests and services, prescriptions, etc. At the end of the pre-screening by healthcare providers, a physician is left with the final assessment and the plan—the medical decisions and diagnosis. some doctors are said to be opting … [Read more...] about Physician’s duties increasingly reduced by nurses, long-term care providers for chronically ill
Texans to face new obstacles as Obamacare open enrollment nears with government cuts
On November 1st, the open enrollment period for the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) begins. The 2018 open enrollment runs from November 1st to December 15th and is a crucial time to reach a critical number of under and uninsured individuals in order to get them covered. With enrollment during that period coverage would start on January 1, 2018. This years period is shorter than the 3-month period last year and has been reduced to 6 weeks. According to reports, government cutbacks in the form of … [Read more...] about Texans to face new obstacles as Obamacare open enrollment nears with government cuts
Early Voting in Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities
Provider Letter 17-31 - The Early voting process that went into effect on September 1 for nursing facilities (NF's) and Assisted Living Facilities (ALF's) The new temporary law at Texas Elections Code §107.006, requires NFs and ALFs to set aside common space for the election officials to set up as a voting area. The space must be accessible and allow residents to cast a secret ballot. Texas Health and Safety Code §§242.0181 and 247.008 require NFs and ALFs to comply with Chapter 107 for the … [Read more...] about Early Voting in Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities
Health Care Providers See Millennials as Key to Nursing Shortage
Shortage of Nurses and nursing providers have increased as more of the population retires. Millennials, who fall between the birth years of 1982 to 2000 are the top age group that is becoming the largest group in the in-home care workforce. According to a new study published in the October edition of Health Affairs an average millennial is now 186% more likely to become a registered nurse (RN) compared to baby boomers who's generation are the ones most typically in the highest leadership … [Read more...] about Health Care Providers See Millennials as Key to Nursing Shortage
Nursing Home Disaster Preparation Under Scrutiny, Evaluated by Senators
The Hurricane Ima weather disaster claimed the lives of nine nursing home residents in Florida who died as a result of lack of A/C due to power outages and non-working backup generators. In Texas, Hurricane Harvey brought attention to the fact that an El Paso, Texas, nursing home had no plan for how to bring wheelchair-dependent people down flights of stairs, while many others had to wade through waist-deep floodwaters to exit the facilities. As a result of these disturbing occurrences, … [Read more...] about Nursing Home Disaster Preparation Under Scrutiny, Evaluated by Senators
Telemedicine Rules Released To Affect 28 million patients in Texas
Healthcare providers in the State of Texas will have to review the new Telemedicine Rules released this month by the Texas Medical Board. The new rules are reported to eliminate a few obstacles doctors faced in utilizing telemedicine to treat patients and mark the final barriers in a years-long battle to loosen restrictive telehealth rules in the Texas. According to reports, the proposed rules eliminate the provisions that a "patient site telepresenter" must be available for patients being … [Read more...] about Telemedicine Rules Released To Affect 28 million patients in Texas
Major Health Groups Chime in on Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Payment System
MACRA now in its first year of implementation in 2017, has established a new framework for physician payment focused on quality and value using two distinct payment paths. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program (QPP) includes the following pathways: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive program. MACRA replaced the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that gave the ability to determine Medicare … [Read more...] about Major Health Groups Chime in on Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Payment System
Why Planning for Long-Term Care Services is A MUST For Aging Individuals
Long-term care services are an important aspect of your health care plans and for that reason, it's important to inform your loved ones and providers about your health care needs for the future. In fact, most adults should plan for long-term and even palliative care as it benefits the candidate when it comes to supportive care in the form of basic living needs such as bathing, dressing, personal care, housekeeping, meal preparations and even medical help. According to news reports, research … [Read more...] about Why Planning for Long-Term Care Services is A MUST For Aging Individuals
Updated Preferred Provider Arrangement for All Managed Care Organizations
MCO Preferred Provider Memorandum In the latest memo update for all managed care organization starting in Fiscal year 2018, HSS is providing Guidance on Preferred Provider Arrangements and Network Access Requirements. The Medicaid and CHIP managed care contracts, including the Uniform Managed Care Contract (UMCC), will require that managed care organizations (MCOs) continue to transition provider payment methodologies from volume based payment approaches to quality-based alternative payment … [Read more...] about Updated Preferred Provider Arrangement for All Managed Care Organizations