Achieve up to $63K in cost savings

SNF occupancy rates continue to trend downward. The National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Care reports a drop in occupancy rates from 86% to 82% between 2012 and 2017—the lowest they’ve been in five years.

New voluntary bundled payment model announced

On January 9, 2018, CMS’ Innovation Center announced the launch of a new voluntary bundled payment model called Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced). Under traditional fee-for-service payment, Medicare pays providers for each individual service they perform. Under this bundled payment model, participants can earn additional payment if all expenditures for a beneficiary’s episode of care are under a spending target that factors in quality.

Buckle up: IRS drives mileage rates up one cent for 2018

The IRS has announced that standard mileage rates for the use of a car in 2018 rose to 54.5 cents per mile of business travel.

CMS: CoPs’ effective date won’t change regardless of when final IGs are released

The final interpretive guidelines for the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) have not yet been released, but CMS remains full steam ahead on the Jan. 13 effective date for agencies to comply.

First prick-free glucose monitor covered by Medicare announced

Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes now have access to Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre System, a device that allows individuals to keep track of their glucose levels without having to routinely prick their finger. The device was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September and started being offered in U.S. pharmacies this past November.

Four basic leadership styles every long-term care manager should follow

For a long time, people thought there were only two leadership styles—autocratic and democratic. In fact, people used to shout at each other from these two extremes, insisting that one style was better than the other. Democratic managers were accused of being too soft and easy, while their autocratic counterparts were often called too tough and domineering. Today’s manager, however, is flexible and is able to use all four of the leadership styles described below.

Failed studies uncover answers to finding the cure for Alzheimer’s

Scientists are optimistic that finding the cure for Alzheimer’s--a disease currently afflicting 5 million people in the United States alone--may be within reach. This sentiment might seem unrealistic when you look at the statistics--only about 1% of scientific discoveries lead to medicine that is used by patients--but forward thinking scientists remind us to remember where we started.

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