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Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly

CLTC Weekly is a free email newsletter that delivers the latest weekly news on the long-term care industry, including important CMS regulatory changes, a tip of the week, and much, much more.

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Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly

Issue 20, December 27, 2006

• CMS updates unnecessary drugs F-Tag

  On December 18, CMS made more revisions to F-Tag #329, Unnecessary Drugs, requiring increased...

• Nursing homes to educate on fraud detection

  Effective January 2007, nursing homes are required to teach their employees how to detect...

• Noroviruses are spreading like wildfire

  The norovirus is attacking nursing homes across the country, debilitating both residents and staff...

Issue 19, December 20, 2006

• A new year could bring a new name for the JCAHO

  Beginning in January, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO...

• Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. faces outside investigation

  Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., the nation's second largest operator of assisted living facilities, is...

• Study finds financial incentives for hospitalization

  State policies can unwittingly create financial incentives for nursing homes to hospitalize...

• New York City nursing homes not ready for an emergency

  A report released on December 17 found that New York City nursing homes are not prepared to...

Issue 18, December 13, 2006

• Firm expects few changes for SNF reimbursement

  Skilled nursing facilities (SNF) should expect relatively harmless changes in the future to their...

• Tests may detect early stages of Alzheimer's disease

  For the past two years, scientists have been developing a test to detect the earliest stage of...

• Grant awarded to increase nursing workforce

  In an effort to bring more students to the nursing profession, a $1.9 million grant was awarded to...

Issue 17, December 6, 2006

• CMS issues correction to F-Tag #329

  If you downloaded CMS' interpretive guidance for F-Tag #329, Unnecessary drugs, before September...

• Medicare Part D under budget

  In a surprising turn of events, Medicare Part D finished the year $13 billion under budget...

• Decline in disability among elderly

  A new study funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) found that chronic disability in the...

Issue 15, November 29, 2006

• Background checks discover felons living in SNFs

  A new state law requiring all 100,000 Illinois nursing home residents to undergo criminal...

• Report finds need for EHR in long-term care

  Brown University released a study on the importance information technology in the future of...

• CMS issues final rule on blood glucose billing

  Bad news abounded for SNFs that bill for frequent blood glucose tests in the 2007 Medicare...

Issue 14, November 15, 2006

• Napping during night shift improves performance

  Study finds healthcare workers on the night-shift perform better, are more alert, and stay in a...

• Increase in wheelchair reimbursement rate cuts

  After many power wheelchair and scooter suppliers complained about CMS' reimbursement rate cuts...

• Survey reports nursing home resident satisfaction

  Rhode Island's Department of Health released a survey of nursing home residents and their relatives...

Issue 13, November 8, 2006

• CMS publishes Medicare handbook for 2007

  Nursing homes can now access state-specific information to help residents review their Medicare...

• SNFs contemplate cutting Alzheimer's care units

  With the growing number of assaults on staff at Iowa nursing homes by residents with Alzheimer's...

• CMS heats up nursing home fire safety requirements

  CMS issued a final rule for fire safety requirements regarding alcohol-based hand rubs and smoke...

Issue 12, November 1, 2006

• CMS issues photography guidelines

  For states choosing to use photographic evidence to support noncompliance during the survey...

• Quality Indicator Survey process in the wings

  CMS is implementing the Quality Indicator Survey process, which includes an online off-site review...

• New flu and pneumonia quality measures come out

  On October 13, 2006, CMS released four new flu and pneumococcal quality measures for both chronic...

Issue 11, October 25, 2006

• Low testosterone levels in elderly men increase risk of falling

  The risk of falling increases for elderly men with lower levels of testosterone, reported the...

• Study finds drugs aren't helping residents with Alzheimer's disease

  A study found that antipsychotic drugs prescribed to residents with restive Alzheimer's disease...

• Increase in fraud leaves disabled without power wheelchairs

  After November 15-the start of the Medicare reimbursement cuts-many power wheelchair suppliers say...

Issue 10, October 16, 2006

• Nursing homes in a fog over smoking ban

  Nursing homes in Delaware County, IN, are stuck between a rock and a hard place with the new ban on...

• New bill bans mandatory overtime

  Nurses in Pennsylvania received positive news last week when the state House of Representatives...

• Physicians struggle to get medications under Part D

  Physicians caring for nursing home residents still have difficulty obtaining appropriate...

Issue 9, October 6, 2006

• Many RNs face union exemption

  In an October 3, 2006 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, registered nurse with...

• Nursing homes and drug addicts, not a likely mix

  Baby boomers who may have alcohol and drug problems are seeking medical help from nursing homes...

• Quality of life campaign kicks off in Washington, DC

  On September 29, 2006 in Washington DC, several long-term care organizations launched a campaign to...

Issue 8, October 2, 2006

• Seniors trapped in Medicare Part D doughnut hole

  Before 2007, six million Medicare Part D enrollees will enter the drug plan's nearly $3,000...

• Congress receives bill promoting long-term care quality improvements

  A new bill, S. 3815, was introduced to legislation last week to advance residents' quality of care...

• Proposed rule would change blood glucose reimbursement

  A proposed regulation posted by CMS in the August 22 Federal Register would change rules on how...

Issue 7, September 26, 2006

• Medicare Part A rates set for 2007

  Nursing homes will want to be aware that CMS has set the Medicare Part A deductible and premiums...

• Emergency guidelines for dementia residents released

  Long-term care and consumer organizations released on September 19 a guide to providing care for...

• Experts request funding to study rise in elderly suicides

  Top reasons for an increase in suicide among the elderly are inadequate mental health training for...

• TIP OF THE WEEK

  As resident acuity increases, the average number of medications they take in a week goes up and up...

Issue 6, September 19, 2006

• Congress urged to waive Medicare Part D premium penalty

  Forty-seven national advocacy organizations urged Congress to pass legislation to waive the late...

• Study finds seniors are satisfied with Medicare Part D

  The majority of seniors participating in Medicare Part D said the prescription drug plan is...

• CMS issued revised F-Tags

  CMS issued the revised guidelines for F-Tag #329, Unnecessary medications and combined F-Tag #425...

Issue 5, September 12, 2006

• Higher income means higher Part B premium

  In 2007, nursing home residents with higher incomes will pay a higher Medicare Part B premium...

• Residents experience cost of living increase

  Metlife conducted a study on nursing homes' increase in cost of living from 2004 to 2005. The study...

• Report helps SNFs weather power outtages

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) released a report to help...

Issue 4, September 5, 2006

• CMS faces Part D lawsuit

  The Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) filed a suit against CMS in the U.S. District Court for the...

• Nursing homes lack emergency response plan

  The journal Health Affairs published a study on the long-term care "Hurricane Summit" conducted by...

• CMS clarifies use of no-pay bill

  No-pay bills for benefits exhaust scenarios have been a recent source of confusion to SNFs.

Issue 3, August 29, 2006

• Green Houses bring new life to nursing homes

  The Green House Project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a project of the NCB...

• Nursing home hurricane preparedness falls short

  Although the majority of nursing homes satisfied state and federal criteria for evacuation and...

• Proposed tax cut would hurt nursing homes

  A report by BDO Seidman, LLP, for the American Health Care Association (AHCA) states that in 2007 a...

Issue 2, August 22, 2006

• Massachusetts bill opens up long-term care choices

  The bill, "An Act Regarding Choice of Long Term Care Setting," allows those needing long-term care...

• Projected Part D cost remains stable

  In 2007, the average cost of Medicare prescription drug plans will remain stable or decline, and...

• Nursing homes improve quality measures

  The Annals of Internal Medicine conducted a study on the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization...

Issue 1, August 15, 2006

• A Reminder for Nursing Home Billers

  CMS issued a reminder last week that from September 22-30, 2006, fiscal intermediaries will not pay...

• Medicaid Cuts Close South Dakota Nursing Homes

  In the past five years, nursing homes in three South Dakota towns have closed due to the Medicaid...

• Physicians Face Cuts in Medicare Payments

  In 2007, physicians may face a 5.1% cut in Medicare payments for services provided to elderly and...