The so-called “doc fix” bill passed by Congress on Monday represents a “win” for healthcare providers with meaningful exposure to medicare, especially real estate investment trusts (REITs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), suggests a recent Jefferies LLC report. The “doc fix” is a temporary solution to curb Medicare spending on physician services under the Sustainable […]
Category: Legislation
As Medicare margins continue their double-digit residency for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is recommending that Congress mandate a 4% payment reduction to providers starting in 2015, among other policy changes within the post-acute care space. Despite recent reductions to SNF payments, Medicare margins remained high in 2012 at 13.8%, according […]
California assisted living communities have repeatedly made headlines in the last several months for all the wrong reasons, raising the question of whether one state’s regulatory woes could trigger federal oversight for the industry. The short answer: not likely. Assisted living experts say the state’s problems aren’t expected to have broader national implications at this […]
A bipartisan bill introduced by two members of the House of Representatives seeks to reduce malpractice risk against Medicare and Medicaid providers—a move that intends to lower healthcare costs and improve patient care. H.R. 4106, colloquially known as the “Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act,” is a joint effort between Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Ami […]
Assisted living residents in New Jersey cannot use an existing state law that protects nursing home residents to file suit against providers, a federal court recently ruled. The case Andreyko v. Sunrise Senior Living Inc. (No. 12-7240) ruled that the New Jersey Nursing Home Responsibilities & Rights Act (NHRRRA) does not cover assisted living communities […]
Lawmakers have proposed a package of bills meant to reform California’s assisted living industry after an investigative series revealed what the UT-San Diego termed “inadequate supervision and other problems” at several communities. Senators Marty Block, Ellen Corbett, Mark Leno, and Assembly Members Toni G. Atkins, Susan Talamantes Eggman, Nancy Skinner and Mariko Yamada are among […]
California lawmakers will hold hearings in February to examine assisted living providers in the state, following a San Diego Union-Tribune report outlining problems with assisted living homes. The publication worked with the California Healthcare Foundation Center for Health Reporting at the University of Southern California on the investigations cited in the reports, which included two […]
Florida lawmakers last week urged the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration to make laws in short order that would help the state in enforcing the closures of unlicensed assisted living facilities. The nature of the request was firm and urgent, according to a local report on the Florida Senate hearing. “Tell them to hustle,” […]
Because assisted living is regulated on the state level, there are multiple efforts under way at any given time to update and refresh assisted living rules and regulations. Even when legislators are not in session, they are still making progress on aligning regulations with the changing needs of assisted living residents. “States, usually on an […]
A bill that would forbid employers from having policies against lifesaving measures has reached the desk of California Governor Jerry Brown after passing both houses of the state’s Legislature. Sponsored by Sen. Norma Torres (D-Pamona), AB633 aims to protect employees who perform lifesaving procedures during emergencies. The bill is a response to the death of […]
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