Medicare Bidding Program For Home Medical Equipment Is A 'Train Wreck' For Patients And Providers, AA Homecare Tells Ways And Means Subcommittee
In testimony today before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) urged Congress to suspend a controversial, flawed Medicare bidding program for home medical equipment, calling it "a train wreck.
Critical New Information Added To Nursing Home Compare Web Site
Medicaid beneficiaries and families searching for top quality long-term care services can find critical new information added to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Web site "Nursing Home Compare." For the first time, information about nursing homes on the Compare Web site will list whether a home is or has been on CMS' special focus facility (SFF) list.
Black, Hispanic Caregivers More Likely To Misinterpret Signs Of Alzheimer's, Survey Finds
Hispanic and black caregivers are more likely than other ethnic groups to misinterpret symptoms of Alzheimer's disease as normal signs of aging, according to a recent survey by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, HealthDay/Washington Post reports.
CMS Adds Searchable Database Of Lowest-Quality Nursing Homes Nationwide To Web Site
CMS on Thursday added to the Nursing Home Compare Web site a searchable database with the names of nursing homes that rank in the lowest 5% to 10% in quality based on state inspection results, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Accordance Home Care Launches Operations In Huntsville
Seventy-nine percent of older Americans live in homes that they own, and most of them want to keep it that way for as long as possible. That's the reality driving the surge in professional home health care, according to Dee Harrell, founder of Accordance Home Care, which has begun providing services to the Huntsville area's aging population.
ResCare Acquires Texas Home Care Services
ResCare, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSCR) the nation's leading provider of residential, training, educational and support services for people with disabilities and special needs, announced the acquisition of Select Health Care Services, a home health care agency located in Baytown, Texas, serving 30 counties in the Houston area.
Center For Medicare Advocacy Issues New Report On Nursing Home Decisions
Nursing home decisions issued by the Department of Health and Human Services' Departmental Appeals Board (DAB) in 2007 highlight serious failures in care that cause residents to suffer unnecessary pain, injury, trauma, and death. "Despite the serious deficiencies reflected by these cases, the federal enforcement response is usually modest, at best, " said Toby S.
Confusion Surrounds Medicare Wheelchair Policies; AAHomecare Sponsors Workshop And Webinar To Find Answers
Even though the Medicare National Coverage Determination for Mobility Related Equipment was revamped in 2005, many providers and suppliers continue to be perplexed by complex policy requirements and strict protocols for physician and clinician documentation using the algorithmic approach to qualify the appropriate level of Mobility Assistive Equipment (MAE).
Suspend Round One, Urges American Association For Homecare Letters To Key Committees In Congress
In letters to key House and Senate committees that oversee Medicare, the American Association for Homecare has urged a delay in Round One of bidding. The letters detail severe problems related to Round One of competitive bidding and specifically issues related to due process, fairness, and patient access to care.
CMS Disqualified 630 Out Of 1,005 Homecare Providers In Round One, USA
It's like turning down college applicants who forget to include their SAT scores in their applications. That's the way senior officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) described the rationale behind excluding many of the 630 bidders that were disqualified from the total of 1, 005 unique companies that participated in Round One of the Medicare bidding program.