DADS has posted Provider Letter #05-50 - Safe Resident Handling and Movement Practices. The letter is a result of Senate Bill 1525 (SB 1525), which is codified in Texas Health & Safety Code, Chapter 256. What the statute requires is that a facility's Quality Assurance Comittee, shall adopt and ensure implementation of a policy to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control risk of injury to patients and nurses associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a … [Read more...] about Update Your QAAC With Safe Resident Handling and Movement Practices
NY Nursing Homes Launch Campaign to Preserve Medicaid
Representatives from 630 long term care providers across the state of New York met today to launch a campaign called PASS: Preserve Access to Senior Services. The campaign will give a voice to providers who oppose the state's Medicaid cuts and concerned about the impact cuts could have on long term providers. From the press release: "New York's nursing homes are fighting for survival, especially the not-for-profit, mission-driven and public organizations," said Carl S. Young , president … [Read more...] about NY Nursing Homes Launch Campaign to Preserve Medicaid
Bid to End Medicaid-funded Abortions Fails
In a controversial decision about a controversial practice, a judge in Kansas dismissed a lawsuit that would have forced the state to stop financing abortions for Medicaid beneficiaries. (Medical News Today) The case was unusual. The state attorney general in Kansas, Phill Kline, sued the governor and several other individuals in an effort to establish that life begins at conception so the unborn would be protected as individuals under the state constitution. The judge made no … [Read more...] about Bid to End Medicaid-funded Abortions Fails
Important New Provider Letter Affecting Both Hospice Providers and Nursing Facilities
Important New Provider Letter Affecting Both Hospice Providers and Nursing Facilities DADS has replaced April 29, 2005, hospice and nursing facility Provider Letter 05-20 with Long Term Care (LTC) Provider Letter No. 06-07 in order to emphasize that Medicaid hospice providers will not be paid for services unless the hospice provider already has its contract and Medicaid number. The bottom line is that... If licensed and certified hospice providers provide hospice services to an … [Read more...] about Important New Provider Letter Affecting Both Hospice Providers and Nursing Facilities
Delayed and Expired Licenses
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) issued a provider letter (PDF) to Home and Community Support Services Agencies last February regarding delays in initial licensure and Medicare certification. Last week DADS issued an updated letter, reminding providers of a continued delay because of a "very large number" of applications. To shorten the delay, DADS encourages applicants to make requests at least eight months in advance, delay requests until they've provided … [Read more...] about Delayed and Expired Licenses
Hurricane Katrina Waivers, Computer Updates
The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has released a new provider letter with information on waivers for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. You may access it here (PDF). This past September, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a waiver that allowed Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Texas to enroll in the waiver program through January 31, 2006. In response to providers' questions about beneficiaries whose eligibility is expiring, DADS stated that … [Read more...] about Hurricane Katrina Waivers, Computer Updates
Telehealth
With budget cuts to Medicare, we can assume that home health care agencies are looking for ways to save money. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pushing for more home health agencies to participate in "telehealth." Instead of visiting homes, home health agencies can collect information, offer diagnoses and medical advice via telephone. (Medical News Today) The goals of telehealth include: Reducing the rate of hospitalization Increasing the rate of influenza and … [Read more...] about Telehealth
The 2005 CPR Guidelines And Treating Hyperkalemia
The nephrologist at KidneyNotes takes issue with some of the 2005 CPR guidelines for treating hyperkalemia. The good doctor says: Given a lack of standardization, it's not surprising that different doctors treat hyperkalemia in different ways. The new 2005 CPR guidelines from the American Heart Association provide recommendations for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Unfortunately, while these new guidelines are easy to follow, there are many potential problems, and I offer some … [Read more...] about The 2005 CPR Guidelines And Treating Hyperkalemia
New York Nursing Home Under Fire
New York's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is ready to crack down on substandard nursing homes. According to Spitzer, the Jennifer Matthew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center neglected patients and denied them medication. From an editorial in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Hidden cameras helped reveal, Spitzer claims, that residents were routinely left lying in waste while staff napped, that medication was denied and that help call bells were put out of reach of patients. Spitzer … [Read more...] about New York Nursing Home Under Fire
Medicare Therapy Cap
The American Physical Therapy Association has announced that Medicare therapy services will be subject to two caps. Physical therapy and speech language pathology will have a combined cap of $1,740 and a separate cap for occupational therapy, all effective on January 1, 2006. Just as Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, doctors, and certain long term care providers have complained about Medicare's reportedly confusing new prescription drug program, physical therapists have issues with the new … [Read more...] about Medicare Therapy Cap
