Posts Tagged ‘nursing’

CMS Expected to Postpone Compliance Program Enforcement

Authored By: David W. Bufford

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unofficially announced it will not be enforcing the upcoming March 23rd compliance program requirements until final regulations are published.  As required under the Affordable Care Act, nursing facilities are required to have a compliance program in place by March 23, 2013.  Despite ambiguity in the actual statute, which states a facility must have a compliance program in place “on or after” March 23rd, this is widely accepted in the industry as the date for the requirement to be effective.    (more…)

Deadline Looming for Nursing Facility Compliance Program Requirement

Authored By: David W. Bufford

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires all skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs) to have an effective compliance and ethics program in place by March 23, 2013.  Unfortunately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has failed to publish final regulations covering these programs, as required under PPACA, by March 2012.

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Another Antipsychotic Measure Fails to Pass

Authored By: David W. Bufford

In an on-going push to regulate the use of antipsychotic medications in nursing facilities, another piece of legislation has failed to pass Congress.  The Senate did not pass a proposed regulation that would have standardized protocols for obtaining informed consent before administering antipsychotics for off-label use.   (more…)

CMS Provides Guidance for Nursing Facility Gardens

Authored By: David W. Bufford

CMS released a Survey & Certification letter today providing guidance for nursing homes that desire to utilize on-site gardens to provide fresh produce for residents. After numerous inquiries from facilities, CMS confirmed that residents can benefit from home-grown foods as long as food-borne illness dangers are mitigated to the greatest extent possible.  (more…)

Pending NLRB Decision May Have Significant Impact on Long-Term Care

Authored By: David W. Bufford

A case currently pending before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), as mentioned here, is expected to be decided and released within the next few months.  This case, Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation of Mobile, has been pending before the Board since December of 2010, and, if decided as expected by those following the case, will have a significant impact on long-term care providers and the ability of employees to unionize.    (more…)