The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final version of the new Resident Assessment Instrument manual to complete the necessary reform of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) nursing home resident assessment tool before the Oct. 1 implementation. This tool determines the level of acuity of individual residents and as a facility aggregate. The “Final”
McKnight’s reported another settlement involving a kickback scheme. Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre nursing home run by the infamous Shlomo Rechnitz, the largest nursing home owner in California. He agreed to pay $3.8 million to settle kickback allegations and violations of the False Claims Act. A press release stated Alta Vista also paid physicians
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) demanded a review of Care Compare’s nursing home section and the data and information it provides, including the Five-Star Rating System. He is a frequent critic of the industry. He has been vocal since 2022 HHS Office of Inspector General’s report on psychotropic drug use in nursing homes. The Government Accountability Office recently
“CMS’ thirteen-year delay is slow even by bureaucratic standards and especially egregious given that the number of nursing homes owned by private equity has significantly increased since then” -US Sen. Charles Grassley wrote (R-IA). Recently Grassley sent a letter asking CMS to finalize CMS’ “overdue proposed rule that…failed to finalize and implement.” New rules will
President Biden says the Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare. Republicans protest from their seats despite it being their plan for years.
Hospice providers nationally are under attack for allegedly using unscrupulous business methods. A New Jersey company pressured nursing home staff to refer ineligible patients to hospice care. They were told to exaggerate their conditions to defraud the government, a federal whistleblower lawsuit alleges. Sherri McDermott was a nurse who worked for hospice company Life Source Services for