McKnight's Long-Term Care News articles from February 2003

McKnight's Long-Term Care News archives from February 2003

Feds reject Medicare pay hike.
February 10, 2003... Skilled nursing facilities are adequately funded for Medicare residents, according to a new General Accounting Office report. Worse for providers, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Congress' advisory panel for Medicare...

Most expect cuts for Medicaid.
February 10, 2003... Providers hoping for Medicaid funding relief have had little reason for optimism lately. Nearly two-thirds of states have had to implement or are planning a second round of Medicaid cuts, according to a new study from the Kaiser Commission...

Alterra Healthcare Corp. (Late Breaking News).
February 10, 2003... Alterra Healthcare Corp., the nation's largest assisted-living chain, announced Jan. 22 it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. CEO Patrick Kennedy said the company had secured some bridge financing and that the filing would not...

President Bush intends to try overhauling. (Late Breaking News).
February 10, 2003... President Bush intends to try overhauling the Medicare system, and a first prescription drug benefit for the elderly and increasing competition between Medicare and private health plans are his top priorities, according to a report in the New...

Almost one in five hospital. (Late Breaking News).
February 10, 2003... Almost one in five hospital patients with a broken hip is discharged before all vital signs are stable, greatly increasing the risk of death or further medical problems--even if the patient is discharged to a nursing home--according to a study...

Baby boomers. (Late Breaking News).
February 10, 2003... Baby boomers likely will not place overwhelming demand on the country's long-term care system for 20 or more years, according to a new analysis from AARP. Separately, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said in a new...

Databank.
February 10, 2003... DATABANK CHARGING UP Nursing homes' average per-resident charges went up by more than 24% between 1995 and 1999 (the latest year for which figures are available). Year Monthly per-resident charge 1995 ...

Medicare 'cliff' is already hurting SNF services, staff: from abolishing wage increases to reducing beds, operators are reacting to $1.8 billion less in funding. (Reimbursement).
February 10, 2003... As of Oct. 1, 2002, skilled nursing facilities are receiving approximately $1.8 billion less annually in Medicare payments. Yet, the Medicare system pays skilled nursing facilities adequately, a General Accounting Office report boldly...

Implementation of therapy caps delayed. (Reimbursement).
February 10, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pulled off a last-minute change of direction regarding proposed Medicare therapy caps. Well, sort of. The agency decided in late December not to implement Medicare Part B $1,500 therapy caps,...

Pete Stark (D-CA). (Legislative Issues).
February 10, 2003... Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) introduced the Medicare Market Acquisition Drug Price Act (H.R. 194), which would change the reimbursement for covered outpatient prescription drugs under Medicare Part B from the current average wholesale price payment...

The new chair of the House Ways. (Legislative Issues).
February 10, 2003... The new chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) introduced a bill that would cancel a 4.4% cut in Medicare reimbursement for physicians. The new proposal would make use of the Congressional Review Act, which allows...

Centers for Medicare. (Regulatory Issues).
February 10, 2003... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued an interim final rule to create equitable payments for all Medicare Part B services (other than physician services) when the existing payment amounts are inherently unreasonable because they...

Aides lack basic training: specialized, hands-on instruction has been successful for nursing home aide-training programs, but it's not prevalent enough, a federal report finds. (Cover Story).
February 10, 2003... Reality television has nothing on Dunwoody Village and its nursing home aide-training program. At Dunwoody in Newtown Square, PA, you get three days in the classroom and then it's out to the residents. Clinical and classroom studies are...

State court: lawsuits can avoid new mandates. (State News).
February 10, 2003... SOUTHEAST/FLORIDA Those who sue Florida nursing homes need not comply with new state restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits, the state's highest court has ruled. An industry lawyer predicted the ruling would affect hundreds of other...

Staffing, skills, morale linked to better care. (Nursing News).
February 10, 2003... Increasing staff numbers, skill levels, morale, and retention rates would dramatically improve resident care at nursing homes, according to Mary Ann Kehoe, who recently spoke at an Alliance for Health forum. Speakers noted that budget cuts, an...

Generic drug prices up 15%. (Pharmacy News).
February 10, 2003... Generic drug prices are rising almost twice as fast as those of brand-name drugs, according to a new report. And industry experts expect the trend to continue during the years ahead. Several factors are fueling the trend. One is that many...

Survey: DONs earn $56,000 annually.
February 10, 2003... Directors of nursing earn an average of $56,000 a year, according to the 12th annual McKnight's Long-Term Care News salary survey. It marks an increase of $900, or 1.6%, over our last survey. The median salary reported was $53,000--the same...

All eyes on Minimum Data Set as 'DAVE' project expands. (Reimbursement).
February 10, 2003... Ask most long-term care providers how they feel about yet another governmental program keeping a watchful eye over data and documentation, and they'll likely sigh that their plates are already too full. Nonetheless, providers in some states...

Centennial HealthCare Corp. (Bankruptcy).
February 10, 2003... Centennial HealthCare Corp., Atlanta, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to restructure its debt. The firm cited Medicare funding cuts for recent fiscal woes. Centennial operates 86 nursing homes in 19 states and has...

Integrated Health Services. (Mergers).
February 10, 2003... Integrated Health Services' creditors said they will back a plan to sell the Sparks, MD-based company to Trans Healthcare Inc. The deal was announced in December. THI plans to move its headquarters to Integrated's campus in northern Baltimore...

Prometheus assisted living. (Mergers).
February 10, 2003... Prometheus assisted living will Acquire ARV Assisted Living. The all-cash deal values ARV at $68.1 million. If the deal is approved by shareholders and regulators, ARV would no longer be a publicly-traded company. If the purchase gets the...

The supply of long-term care. (Worth Watching).
February 10, 2003... The supply of long-term care physicians will decline while demand for their services goes up, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. As a result, dire physician shortages appear likely in the years ahead. Currently, there...

Four medical equipment companies. (Worth Watching).
February 10, 2003... Four medical equipment companies have sued the Department of Health and Human Services. The suit alleges that the department has not yet implemented a mandated new system for appealing coverage decisions. At least one of the firms has direct...

Bridging gaps proves elusive: nursing homes and assisted living facilities remain reluctant about moving into each other's turf -- here's why. (LTCN Business).
February 10, 2003... Sunrise Assisted Living, the nation's third-largest assisted living chain, opted to change its name to Sunrise Senior Living after it acquired Marriott Senior Living recently. The new identity denotes a shift in focus for the prominent...

Why Sunrise is buying Marriott senior living. (Executive Decisions).
February 10, 2003... Q How does this acquisition fit into Sunrise's overall plans for the future? A For the past three years, Sunrise has been engaged in a transformation -becoming more of a management services company and less of a real-estate company,...

Abbott Laboratories. (Enterprise).
February 10, 2003... Abbott Laboratories will begin supplying a new rheumatoid-arthritis drug to Medicare-enrolled seniors without prescription coverage. Beneficiaries can receive Humira at no charge until Congress approves a Medicare drug benefit, according to...

Pennsylvania Higher Education. (Enterprise).
February 10, 2003... The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency has established a new loan forgiveness program, in an effort to help address a serious nursing shortage. The program expects to forgive about $13.3 million in loans.

Carondelet Health Network. (Enterprise).
February 10, 2003... Carondelet Health Network, University Medical Center and the University of Arizona College of Nursing in Tucson, AZ, are collaborating to offer an accelerated nursing program for college graduates. The program will provide financial support for...

Do your homework before selling facilities. (P&L Journal).
February 10, 2003... The long-term care market continues to face significant challenges. Inadequate Medicaid reimbursement, liability insurance as well as unresolved Medicare issues continue to foster instability. These challenges are especially evident in mergers...

Market monitor.
February 10, 2003... MARKET MONITOR Number of skilled nursing facilities by type of certification, 2001 State Dually Medicaid Medicare Certified Only Only United States 13,660 1,930...

Providers can expect little legal relief. (Legal Matters).
February 10, 2003... Q What legal trends do you see for the rest of the year? A One can expect the negative legal trends of he recent past to continue in 2003. Liability cases alleging medical malpractice, breach of statutory rights and breach of contract...

Staffing postings just feds micromanaging. (Regulations/Compliance).
February 10, 2003... Q CMS said we have to "prominently" display our nursing staff numbers each shift where the public can see it (starting January 1), but then didn't clarify how we should do it. How important is this and where do you see this staff-posting effort...

Confront worker tirade quickly, carefully. (Staffing Concerns).
February 10, 2003... Q A good nurse snapped at me disrespectfully in front of several other employees and I wonder how quickly I should address the problem. Where? How should it be handled with regard to the other employees being there? A A good, hard working...

Master the MDS coding process to get your due. (Payment Answers).
February 10, 2003... Q What's the No. 1 avoidable way providers still lose out on reimbursements they should get? A For both the Medicare A and for 23 state Medicaid systems (RUG III based), the MDS is the document that determines the reimbursement level...

Are you a power e-mailer? Check your in-box. (Managing Technology).
February 10, 2003... Returning to work after a holiday break can be a rough adjustment. But many long-term care professionals firing up their computers in January discovered an Technology additional headache: dozens, sometimes hundreds, of new e-mail messages. ...

Institute of Medicine. (Quality Corner).
February 10, 2003... The Institute of Medicine has identified 20 priority areas for improving healthcare delivery. These include end of life care for advanced organ system failure, frailty associated with old age, hypertension, immunization, ischemic heart disease...

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (Quality Corner).
February 10, 2003... Facilities accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations are preparing to be graded on compliance with the organization's six "National Patient Safety Goals." The initiative requires provider organizations to...

Agency for Healthcare Research. (Quality Corner).
February 10, 2003... The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and an editorial team at the University of California, San Francisco, are creating the nation's first peer-reviewed, Web-based medical journal that will showcase patient safety lessons drawn from...

Furnishings reaching higher (and lower) needs. (Industry Innovators).
February 10, 2003... The people who make furnishings and equipment for long-term care residences continue to evolve their products. Now, items can extend higher, and lower, last longer and give the resident and host more options to choose from. Whether it's...

Garon De-Icer[TM]. (New Products).
February 10, 2003... * Twenty-four times more effective than rock salt at 0 degrees * OSHA compliant pellets keep walkways clear, clean and safe * Easy to apply on walkways and larger areas with a spreader * Produced by Garon Products Inc. Circle...

Direct supply. (Product Focus).
February 10, 2003... Direct Supply's new Oasis side-entry whirlpool tub from T.H.E. Medical[R] has power raise, lower and recline functions to make bathing safer, easier and more comfortable for both residents and staff. Plus, you can set the tub to fill...

Arjo Inc. (Product Focus).
February 10, 2003... The Carendo offers the caregiver unprecedented access and assistance in performing bathing, dressing, toileting and changing of incontinence pads. The unique Care Raiser function allows the caregiver to dress and undress the resident while...

Noram Solutions. (Product Focus).
February 10, 2003... Noram Solutions' Dolphin Shower Trolley provides a safe, single-transfer process for hygiene care that maximizes resident comfort. Its durable, easy-to-repair closed cell foam mattress offers a comfortable and secure environment. Includes...

LTC funding in the crosshairs. (People & Opinions).
February 10, 2003... (Q&A) The struggle to get the long-term care community weaned off of so much government financing continues for one of the strongest proponents of long-term care insurance. But it's a battle being waged even as the Center for Long-Term...

Lights, camera ... recruiting. (Commentary).
February 10, 2003... James M. Berklan The long-term care folks in the Baltimore area are like a lot of you. They're over regulated, under reimbursed and worry excessively about excessive insurance premiums. But they also aren't like you. They just may have...

Reader's letters.
February 10, 2003... I enjoyed reading your commentary on "Nikki." ("Tricky NHQI good for a few laughs," p.21, Dec. 13, 2002.) A $25 million ad campaign, using taxpayers' money to disseminate inaccurate and poorly explained data makes little sense to me. One day...

How do you get the most out of your employees? (Reader Poll).
February 10, 2003... DAVID VILAND Administrator, Elim Care Center, Fargo, ND There is no single magic answer to that question. But, clearly the employees of today must be managed in a new way. We have, over the last five years, really worked on changing...

Dream weaver: a geriatric psychologist sparks a 'movement' with her program to fulfill residents' fondest wishes, grand or small. (McKnight's LTCN Profile).
February 10, 2003... P.K. Beville has seen enough negatives about aging and nursing home life. Now, she wants better experiences and images for those who live--and work--in long-term care facilities. By all accounts, she and the Second Wind Dreams program she...

Caught in spin cycle, can't come clean: it's time for a warts-and-all dialogue about fixing the nation's long-term care system. (Parting Shots).
February 10, 2003... Citizens in the old Soviet Union had a joke about their flawed economy: We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us. Sadly, such Machiavellian cynicism might also be applied to our long-term care system. Far too often, poor care continues...

Hard data.
February 10, 2003... 8.7 The percent Increase for U.S. healthcare spending in 2001, more than triple the speed of the growth of the U.S. economy, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 10 Approximate percentage of Americans over age 65 who...

Survey: seniors' cancer is often undertreated. (Pharmacy News).
February 10, 2003... Older people may not get the most aggressive cancer treatment they need because of their advanced age, according to a survey of doctors. Almost two thirds of the participants indicated that older people suffer from undertreatmeat. The majority...

SNFs in line for another RUGs reprieve.
February 28, 2003... The Bush administration wants to delay refinements to Medicare resource utilization groups another year. A postponement last year helped nursing homes retain an estimated $1 billion in spending that otherwise might have been cut. ...

No medicare relief from Congress.
February 28, 2003... Skilled nursing providers were about to land a funding goose egg from Congress as of press time. Leaders from the House and Senate reached a compromise on Medicare spending reform late Feb. 10, and it didn't include additional funding for...

Genesis Health Ventures. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * Genesis Health Ventures, the seventh-largest nursing home chain in the country, said it would spin off its 246 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities into a new publicly traded company by the end of the year. The Kennett Square,...

Genesis earlier announced. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * Genesis earlier announced it had reached agreements to sell off its Florida nursing homes and assisted living holdings by June 30.

The Bush administration. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * The Bush administration plans to invest $1.5 billion over five years on demonstration projects that promote home and community based senior and disabled care.

Several more bills were nearing Congressional introduction to combat rising malpractice insurance rates. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * Several more bills were nearing Congressional introduction to combat rising malpractice insurance rates. Rep. Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA) was to introduce a companion bill to Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-VT), which calls for a repeal of the insurance...

Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) re-introduced the Elder Justice Act. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * Sens. John Breaux (D-LA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) re-introduced the Elder Justice Act, a proposal that would train healthcare workers to detect abused senior citizens, and require FBI criminal background checks for nursing home aides.

The first three-dimensional maps showing how Alzheimer's disease spreads in the brains of living patients. (Late Breaking News).
February 28, 2003... * The first three-dimensional maps showing how Alzheimer's disease spreads in the brains of living patients have been created by American and Australian scientists, according to an article in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Databank......Resident Mobility.
February 28, 2003... DATABANK RESIDENT MOBILITY The percentage of nursing home residents who were independently ambulatory has continually dropped in recent years. Percentage 1996 21.74 1997 21.01 1998 20.12 1999 18.80 2002...

Hard data.
February 28, 2003... 17.7 The percentage of the national gross domestic product that healthcare will account for by 2012, according to a study in the journal Health Affairs. In 2001, the percentage was 14.1%. 20 The percentage of patients who experience...

Providers protest: Medicaid headed from bad to worse. (Reimbursement).
February 28, 2003... With state budget crunches at 60-year highs, the long-term care community is bracing for another blow to what it already sees as modest Medicaid funding. Given the 13.2% surge in Medicaid spending in 2002 -- and the fact that the program...

S. 138, the State Budget Relief Act. (Legislative Issues).
February 28, 2003... * S. 138, the State Budget Relief Act. would provide $10 billion in Medicaid assistance for states through a 2.45% Medicaid federal matching share increase for 18 months. It would also include a "hold harmless" provision for states scheduled to...

H.R. 208, the Senior Safety Protection Act of 2003. (Legislative Issues).
February 28, 2003... * H.R. 208, the Senior Safety Protection Act of 2003, was reintroduced in January by Reps. Mike Thompson (0-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA). A holdover from the previous Congress, the bill would establish and provide funding for a national...

The Food and Drug Administration. (Regulatory Issues).
February 28, 2003... * The Food and Drug Administration announced Feb. 5 new labeling regulations designed to cut down the overuse of antibiotics. The overuse of antibiotics has led to the development of more drug-resistant bacterial strains, especially in young...

Tort reform on front burner: with the highest profile advocate of all in the lead, medical liability reform supporters, including nursing home operators, now have reason for optimism. (Cover Story).
February 28, 2003... There's nothing like a rally cry from the President of the United States to spark your cause. Long-term care operators and other healthcare providers have learned that loud and clear in 2003, thanks to President Bush making medical...

New bidder 'wins' right to buy bankrupt IHS. (State News).
February 28, 2003... Northeast/Pennsylvania Abe Briarwood Corp. -- not Trans Healthcare Inc., which signed a purchase agreement in December -- was the winning bidder for nursing home giant Integrated Health Services at an IHS auction held in early January in U.S....

Massachusetts: User fee to boost nursing home funding. (State News: Northeast).
February 28, 2003... Amid the possibility of brutal cuts to state funding, nursing homes have started charging the 8,000 nursing home residents who pay entirely out of pockets an extra $3,500 per year. The $9.60 daily charge on private-pay residents will help boost...

California: Nursing facilities sue state over alleged under payment. (State News: West).
February 28, 2003... California's nursing homes have sued the state, saying that the health department knowingly shorted them on payments worth $54 million over a recent 18-month period. The California Association of Health Facilities says that payments associated...

Arkansas: Hot debate rises over tort reform, insurance pool. (State News: Southeast).
February 28, 2003... State lawmakers debated a proposal, HB1213, which would establish a liability insurance pool for nursing homes and push tort reform. The House Judiciary Committee previously passed a controversial general tort reform proposal. More than...

South Dakota: governor pledges facilities for Indian reservations. (State News: Plains).
February 28, 2003... Gov. Mike Rounds promised to devise a deal that would allow nursing homes to be built on Indian reservations that lack long-term care facilities despite a state law barring the construction of new facilities. A state moratorium does not...

Dressing a major problem for stroke victims. (Nursing News).
February 28, 2003... Getting dressed is a major health hazard for people who suffered a stroke, according to investigators. In fact, almost half -- some believe many more -- of stroke survivors suffer serious falls within a year, most while they are getting...

Regulations, payment complicating hospital referrals: nursing home workers say good relationships with hospital personnel key to easier admissions, express hopes for better ways to assess residents. (Patient Care).
February 28, 2003... Bringing a new resident into a skilled nursing facility from a hospital can be a frustrating process. The information needed by nursing homes for the new resident's initial assessment is often more extensive than that provided by the hospital...

The bond closing for the largest single-site senior-living financing in the history of the United States. (Financing).
February 28, 2003... * The bond closing for the largest single-site senior-living financing in the history of the United States was expected at press time, key officials said. Ziegler Capital Markets Group, Chicago, is the underwriter for the $183 million Kahala...

RehabCare, a prominent provider of therapy, staffing and management services to long-term care providers and other healthcare organizations. (Scaling Back).
February 28, 2003... * RehabCare, a prominent provider of therapy, staffing and management services to long-term care providers and other healthcare organizations, has announced plans to close 26% of its branches. The St. Louis-based company said it hopes to...

A record number of corporations. (Worth Watching).
February 28, 2003... * A record number of corporations restated their financial statements due to accounting errors in 2002, according to a study by Huron Consulting Group. In all, 330 companies changed their prior year's financial statements. That's up 22% percent...

Therapy caps to start July 1. (Reimbursement).
February 28, 2003... The therapy caps are 'on,' in several manners of speaking. The limitations on outpatient Medicare Part B occupational therapy and physical and speech-language therapy are legally in effect, but they are not currently being enforced by the...

The Chicago Council for Jewish Elderly. (Enterprise).
February 28, 2003... * The Chicago Council for Jewish Elderly has joined with other local agencies to create the Holocaust Community Service Program. The program visits area nursing homes, offering history lessons and sensitivity training to front-line caregivers....

Public housing residents in Richmond. (Enterprise).
February 28, 2003... * Public housing residents in Richmond, VA, are training to become certified nurse assistants in nursing homes. The "Hope for HealthCare" program is helping to relieve a chronic nursing shortage while giving local citizens meaningful work,...

Using a new type of dye with a PET scan. (Enterprise).
February 28, 2003... * Using a new type of dye with a PET scan allows scientists to look at cross-sections of living brain tissue and see the proteins that signal Alzheimer's disease at work, researchers have found. Currently, there is no sure way to diagnose...

Focus on operations to attract capital. (P&L journal).
February 28, 2003... There's little doubt that the past few years have been challenging times for many operators. One of the questions I'm hearing more often lately is this: How can I position my organization to be attractive to the capital markets in 2003? ...

Market Monitor.
February 28, 2003... MARKET MONITOR Contract labor usage for nursing services, 2001 Percentage of skilled nursing facilities using contract nursing services for: RNs LPNs Aldes United States 11.30 15.41 16.34...

Providers struggle most with quality issues. (Illegal Matters).
February 28, 2003... Q Where have providers made the least progress In coping with legal matters recently? A Most providers have been flexible in responding to drastic and fast paced changes or challenges. However, the area that seems to transcend all...

Competitive legislation not necessarily best. (Regulations/Compliance).
February 28, 2003... Q Why is there controversy around the discussion of a competitive bidding program for Medicare? A Competitive bidding for Medicare Part B was introduced and adopted by the House and included in the Medicare legislative package by the...