Budgets are about choices. When projected expense exceeds revenue by close to one billion dollars, those choices become difficult. While we accept there are difficult choices, Governor Ferguson’s supplementary budget is a head scratcher.
The state budget process differs from almost any business. The first step is an update to what is known as “maintenance level.” …
I am pleased to announce that beginning September 1, 2023, I will be doing consulting work with Leading Age Washington [LAW] related to both Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living payment systems. These services are provided in my role as…
CMS is preparing to release the long-awaited nursing home staffing standard which they promised sometime this spring. According to my celestial calendar, that means by June 20, 2023, give, or take a few hours. While we have little insight…
In March 2022 the Department of Health and Human Services released guidance regarding health plans payments of health care claims using virtual credit cards and adopted HIPAA standards in accordance with 45 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) §§ 162.1601 and 162.1602(d).
There are several key take aways to include:
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Recently, Mark Parkinson, President, and CEO of the American Healthcare Association [AHCA] declared, “we won” in referring to the recent 2.7% rate increase contained in the SNF Final rule. In a relative fashion, Mr. Parkinson is correct. As nursing home operators know, the…
Over the past year literally billions of dollars have been pumped into the long term care sector in an effort to compensate Providers for COVID related expense and lost revenue. These funds came in the forms of CARES Act Grants, PPP Loans as well as other add-ons from federal and state agencies. Many providers would…
Consolidated Billing Services, Inc recently completed an analysis concerning the incremental cost nursing homes have experienced related to the COVID 19 pandemic, public health emergency and related restrictions imposed nationally, by our governor and through local public health districts.
Background
As you are aware, nursing homes do not report costs accept at the end of the calendar…
Washington State nursing home providers are underfunded to the tune of around 116 million. That is a fact as determined by the Department of Social and Health Services [DSHS] and not the opinion of this author.
The national media is at it again. No, I am not referring to “fake news” nor do I wish to paint the entire media with the same brush. Yet, on November 29, 2019, NBC news used a few isolated instances in an effort to sensationalize poor nursing home care. The report titled: Some nursing homes…
On October 4, 2019, CMS published an update to Chapter 8 section of 70.4 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual inserting additional criteria which serves to provide clarification regarding the relationship between Skilled Nursing Facilities and other third party suppliers of services and supplies as it relates to the “Under Arrangement…
On August 27, 2019 King five news released a short news piece identifying that “19 of the Nation’s worst rated nursing homes are here in Washington.” To see that story click King 5 Story. This is my response to that story.
Dear News Editor,
This is in response to your biased headline grabbing story of…
On June 21, 2019, National Public Radio published a story by Austin Jenkins regarding nursing home closures in Washington State and in that story they discussed chronic Medicaid underfunding of Washington’s 215 nursing homes.
For each Medicare Part A admission the skilled nursing facility should determine the primary reason for skilled care; “why are they here?” This should be one of the first questions answered; the importance of which should drive the next 100 days of care. While the new SNF PDPM payment system due to take effect October…
Governor Inslee Failed the Elderly
It seems Governor Inslee doesn’t recognize the difference between Orcas and the frail elderly. In his budget released on Thursday, December 13, 2018, Washington’s governor failed to provide adequate funding for Washington’s most vulnerable.
I am perplexed when the governor completely ignores the frail elderly residents in the over 200 nursing facilities…
A colleague asked the other day if Washington skilled nursing facilities are in crisis. I have worked closely with this group of providers for thirty years and the short answer is a resounding yes! A crisis is generally defined as, “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.” We are there! Perhaps not…