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

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

Draft issued on quality measures.
July 11, 2003... The National Qualify Forum has issued its draft consensus report on nursing home performance measures. Although preliminary, a finalized report will greatly influence the future of the Nursing Home Quality Initiative. The draft will be...

Last-minute reprieve on therapy caps.
July 11, 2003... The onset of mandated Medicare Part B therapy caps has been delayed once again. This time, the postponement came on the final day possible, and only after a federal judge had ordered lawyers for both sides of the battle to come up with a...

Health and human services. (Late Breaking News).
July 11, 2003... Secretary Tommy Thompson formally announced on June 13 a temporary infusion of about $10 billion in Medicaid funding aimed at helping states avoid further cuts in Medicaid benefits.

Long-term care insurance. (Late Breaking News).
July 11, 2003... policyholders could receive a $3,000 tax credit, under legislation introduced by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Bob Graham (D-FL).The Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2003 also would permit the inclusion of long-term care...

Showing a trend toward. (Late Breaking News).
July 11, 2003... consolidation, nearly all 17 of the largest assisted living providers that recently grew by more than 10% did so by acquiring properties from other companies, according to a survey released by the Assisted Living Federation of America.

The Medicare payment. (Late Breaking News).
July 11, 2003... Advisory Commission proposed the federal government test the use of financial incentives that "reward and improve quality" of care in skilled nursing facilities and other healthcare providers.

The national governors. (Late Breaking News).
July 11, 2003... Association said a Medicaid reform plan drafted by a bipartisan group of 10 governors was not viable and would be dropped. The proposal said that the federal government should take over full funding for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare...

Databank: Nurse Values.
July 11, 2003... DATABANK...NURSE VALUES Salary was not one of the top three reasons registered nurses said they joined their current employer, according to a recent online survey with 811 respondents. Better work schedule 46% Growth...

Hard data.
July 11, 2003... 2+ The percentage of emergency department visits in 2001 made by nursing home residents, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 8 Number of minutes a recent Beverly Enterprises meeting lasted where...

OSHA expects 400 more inspections this summer. (Safety).
July 11, 2003... Nearly one year after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's National Emphasis Program took effect to reduce workplace hazards, at least one long-term care provider can attest that the program's ergonomic component bears sharp...

Competing Medicare bills to be reconciled. (Reimbursement).
July 11, 2003... After debate late into the night, both the U.S. Senate and the House passed Medicare reform bills. But that might have meant the really hard work was just beginning. Although the legislation's hallmark is a first-ever drug coverage plan,...

A key Senate panel voted in favor of a bill designed to help ease the pharmacist shortage. (Capital Briefing: Legislative Update).
July 11, 2003... * A key Senate panel voted in favor of a bill designed to help ease the pharmacist shortage. The Pharmacy Education Aid Act of 2003 (S 648) would create two programs, both of which would repay up to $35,000 in loans annually. The first program...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Update).
July 11, 2003... * Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Thomas Scully came out in favor of easing regulations to allow states to join multi-state purchasing pools to buy prescription drugs for Medicaid beneficiaries -- as long as the...

The Centers for Medicare. (Capital Briefing: Regulatory Update).
July 11, 2003... * The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it would conduct four years of testing on new payment models for end-stage renal disease. The demonstration project will test a bundled payment approach. Organizations that participate...

Tort reform, staffing study, funding halted. (State News).
July 11, 2003... SOUTH WEST/TEXAS Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) signed into law reform legislation that puts a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages awarded against healthcare providers and institutions. Besides the cap on noneconomic damages, the law expands the...

New law limits nursing homes lawsuits, lawyer pay. (Plains: Oklahoma).
July 11, 2003... Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry (D) signed a state law that caps damage awards in medical malpractice suite and limits the filing of medical negligence cases. The bill, which went into effect July 1, requires an expert to certify the merit of a...

Bed tax raised, companion credit passed. (Midwest: Wisconsin).
July 11, 2003... Private-pay nursing home residents may get a tax break thanks to a budget amendment that gives them a tax credit. The credit would off-set an increase in a bed-tax hike for private-pay customers. State legislators approved the conditional...

New law to punish under performing nursing facilities. (Midwest: Missouri).
July 11, 2003... A bill that lessens inspection requirements for good nursing homes and strengthens penalties against poor performing ones was signed into law June 16 by Gov. Bob Holden (D). The law establishes a $10,000 per day fine for nursing home...

Bill would forces release of 'quality of care' information. (Northeast: New York).
July 11, 2003... The state Assembly passed a bill that would order the Department of Health to create and release an easy-to-read profile of the quality of care in the state's nursing homes. A companion bill was being considered in the Senate. The bill...

State stops Medicaid payments to nursing homes. (West: California).
July 11, 2003... Facing a $1 billion deficit, California on June 26 halted payments to state nursing homes, hospitals and clinics for services already provided to some 6.4 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries. State officials said they eventually would make the...

Experts stress software scrutiny for next HIPAA deadline. (Regulation).
July 11, 2003... With the deadline for the first component of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act past, long-term care operators can "look forward to" the next deadline: Oct. 16, when providers need to be in compliance for conducting...

Vacancies worsen, ER visits, diversity grants. (Nursing News).
July 11, 2003... The nationwide vacancy rate for nurses will climb to 29% by the year 2020, according to Fitch Ratings. Its analysts predicted that the vacancy rate would worsen due to retiring nurses outnumbering replacements. Many healthcare providers are...

Study: many seniors are getting wrong drugs, doses. (Pharmacy News).
July 11, 2003... Increasingly, seniors are receiving too much medicine or even the wrong drugs, according to a study conducted by pharmacy services company Medco Health Solutions. Medco said it found 7.9 million errors made, based on an analysis of data on...

Court reaffirms: copycat generic drugs are OK. (Pharmacy News).
July 11, 2003... A U.S. Circuit Court ruled that producers of generic drugs can make copies of brand-name drugs that physically look like the original. At issue was a generic drug maker that was sued for using the same color scheme for pill sizes as the maker...

LTC boards facing greater role in corporate compliance. (News).
July 11, 2003... Since the HealthSouth and Enron corporate scandals, top executives have faced greater scrutiny over ethics and corporate compliance. Often overlooked are the responsiblities of boards of directors in maintaining corporate accountability. ...

A $20 million tax break. (Briefs).
July 11, 2003... * A $20 million tax break helped Louisville, KY-based Ventas Inc. report a net income of $37.3 million in the first quarter, up from $12.7 million a year earlier. An accounting change reversed a previously-recorded liability that reflected...

Genesis Health Ventures Inc. (Briefs).
July 11, 2003... * Genesis Health Ventures Inc. announced $9.7 million ($0.23 per share) income from continuing operations for the quarter ending March 31. That's down $18.6 million from a year ago. The firm attributed the downturn to internal restructuring...

Extendicare Health Services Inc. (Briefs).
July 11, 2003... * Extendicare Health Services Inc. unveiled its results for the first quarter of 2003 -- including its highest census level in almost a decade. Extendicare reported net earnings of $2.3 million for the period, a 38% increase from a year ago....

The IRS. (Worth Watching).
July 11, 2003... * The IRS is making its taxpayer dispute mediation programs permanent. These programs have dramatically cut the time to it takes to resolve tax disagreements. In the Fast Track Mediation program, small businesses have been resolving their tax...

The Food and Drug Administration. (Worth Watching).
July 11, 2003... * The Food and Drug Administration is picking up the pace on drug approvals. Analysts are crediting the quicker approvals to Dr. Mark B. McClellan, who became commissioner in November. As a result, medications for dementia and other ailments...

LTCN business: mid-size groups find an edge. (Operations).
July 11, 2003... The aches and pains of the nursing home business are felt by operators large and small -- and every dimension in between. As a mid-size operator of multiple facilities, however, David Kaasa finds more than a few feel-good aspects. Kaasa is...

'Fairly marked turnaround' for U.S. economy. (Operations).
July 11, 2003... Q: What brought on the current economic slump that has affected long-term care providers and others? A: Since the middle of 2000, our economy has with-serious blows: a significant decline in equity prices, a substantial fall in capital...

Executive decisions. (Operations).
July 11, 2003... The nation's economy appears to be emerging from an economic slump, according to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan. He recently told a conference he sees indications of a "fairly marked turnaround." Recent data suggest the economy...

Implantable technology growing by leaps and bounds. (Managing Technology).
July 11, 2003... The use of implantable devices to treat heart lisease, orthopedic complaints and other conditions affecting older Americans is growing dramatically. Advancing technology, increasing demand, and greater provider acceptance are driving greater...

Business matters: suing for libel or slander not a likely solution. (Legal Matters).
July 11, 2003... Q: I am tired of local media and politicians talking badly about us and wanting to sue somebody for libel, slander or defamation. A: Libel and slander would be very difficult lawsuits to win in the context of the local media or politicians...

Surveying still a swamp of subjectivity. (Regulations/Compliance).
July 11, 2003... Q: The Office of the Inspector General recently found that 11% of all nursing homes surveyed in 2000 had no deficiencies. However, the variation in deficiency free nursing homes was very wide, from 34% to 0%. The report has a number of...

Be equitable-not identical-with staff. (Staffing Concerns).
July 11, 2003... Q: I find that I have a group of very different "Personalities" that work for me. I want to be fair and treat them all the same but sometimes that just does not seem to work or happen. Any suggestions? A: The situation you describe is...

Odds are you're coding this material wrong. (Payment Answers).
July 11, 2003... Q: Items P7 and P8 (physician visits and orders, respectively) seem to be pretty simple on the MDS form, but they're also seen as common areas for mistakes. Can you clarify missteps we're liable to take? A: I agree that this is one of the...

Study shows leaders can use their time more efficiently. (P&L Journal).
July 11, 2003... How does a busy executive maximize productivity? For long-term care CFOs, the challenge of managing personal productivity is to a) plan for the long term b) maintain day-to-day operations and c) take care of people issues -- whether residents...

As tastes and needs evolve, so do LTC furniture features. (Industry Innovators).
July 11, 2003... Innovations continue to enter the market for furnishings and case goods for long-term care settings. Some of the changes can be attributed to the increasing complexity and acuity of residents in nursing homes, while others simply reflect...

Software source 2003.
July 11, 2003... Our annual Software Source Survey continues to be one of McKnight's Long-Term Care News' most popular features. This year, 45 technology companies took part. You'll notice in the following pages an array of vendors to handle your system needs....

Space Tables. (Product Focus).
July 11, 2003... Transportable, tiltable, height-adjustable tables for dining to meet the needs of all residents. Available in many sizes, shapes and color combinations. As your census changes, you needn't disrupt the seating of other residents. Will...

Direct Supply. (Product Focus).
July 11, 2003... Direct Supply offers Shadowboxes to enhance the homelike feel of your facility. Constructed of wooden frames with Plexiglas[TM] fronts, Shadowboxes safely and attractively display your residents' photos and mementos. Shadowboxes also help...

Hertz Supply Co. Inc. (Product Focus).
July 11, 2003... Volker, "The Healthcare Bed in Disguise," is again bringing the latest developments in bed technology to savvy healthcare customers. In addition to totally unique features such as disappearing side rails, disappearing casters, fine wood...

Sunrise Medical. (Product Focus).
July 11, 2003... The Joerns[R] Two Position Assist Handle is an unparalleled enabling and positioning device, designed to provide a restraint-free alternative to side rails. The handle can be rotated to two different positions, and easily mounts to any of four...

Gasser Chair Company Inc. (Product Focus).
July 11, 2003... Gasser Chair manufactures quality seating and tables for dining rooms, activity rooms, reception areas and lounges. Gasser's health care line of seating is specifically designed and engineered to be senior living friendly. With 57 years of...

Wireless monitoring systems. (New Product).
July 11, 2003... * HomeFree system ensures residents' safety and security at all times * Wireless technology provides resident-specific wander monitoring, wireless nurse call and on-demand resident locating * Personal Watcher[TM] working wristwatch...

Worth Repeating.
July 11, 2003... "Nearly everyone should have long-term care coverage, but almost no one does. If you don't have it, you've got to impoverish yourself for Medicaid to pay for prolonged care." U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), his state's former insurance...

Ombudsman offers opinions. (People & Opinions).
July 11, 2003... Q & A The federally mandated long-term care ombudsman program was responsible for investigating an average of about 12 complaints per nursing home nationwide last year, and the number continues to grow. Issues ranged from food quality to...

Listening to the rumbles. (Commentary).
July 11, 2003... There's an old courting saying that says, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Well apparently, it's also the way to the hearts of long-term care residents. That was one of my first thoughts when I read our Q&A with...

Reader's letters.
July 11, 2003... Jumping to conclusions? As I reviewed Vol. 24, No. 7 (May 23, 2003, "Study: Good care cheaper than bad") I was surprised to find, on the front page, a piece that appeared to draw such a non-intuitive conclusion as does the above-referenced...

If you were king or queen for a day, what would you change first about the survey system? (Reader Poll).
July 11, 2003... Laura Witt Administrator, Rest Haven Central Christian Services, Palos Heights, IL The regulations would be more uniformly interpreted. I'd make the intents of the rules more specific, too. Sometimes they (surveyors) have a totally...

Long-term indeed: she's going strong well past typical retirement age, figures why stop doing what she does best now? (McKnight's: LTCN Profile).
July 11, 2003... If anything, Virginia Rosso is known for being confident, one who likes to meet challenges head-on. And why not? After more than 50 years as a nurse, and more than half of that in nursing administration, there is little she hasn't seen....

Looking for funds in all the wrong places: earlier failed efforts to hike non-state payments are happening anyway. (Parting Shots).
July 11, 2003... Do students pursue writing careers so they don't have to take math classes? Not usually, but it does happen. The reality is that some writers happen to be excellent number crunchers. But most tend to avoid associating with numbers for the...

Stocks soar despite report: nursing facilities get an unexpected shot in the aim from the administration but still 'aren't out of the woods,' analysts say. (Cover Story).
July 11, 2003... When the federal government released a negative market analysis of nursing facilities in late May, many thought it just another log on the fire. As it turns out, the report may have actually done more to quell, or at least stall, any...