Lawmakers and public policy experts are calling on Congress to expand home- and community-based services (HCBS) and telehealth as the U.S. emerges from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
As HHS commits $255 million more for COVID testing in long-term care, vaccines and funding are more urgent...
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Mar 18, 2021
The federal government will invest $255 million to produce and deliver rapid point-of-care COVID-19 antigen tests to support continued screening in long-term care facilities as part of President Biden’s...
MedPAC to Congress: Reduce payments to home health in 2022, expand telehealth beyond public health emergency
By
Diane Eastabrook
Mar 17, 2021
In a report to Congress this week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) offered several key recommendations, including reducing payments for home healthcare agencies in 2022 and extending...
Organization praises CMS for preserving patients’ access to home respiratory care
By
Liza Berger
Mar 17, 2021
The Council for Quality Respiratory Care, a coalition of the nation’s leading home respiratory therapy providers and manufacturing companies, on Tuesday lauded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...
Home healthcare providers to receive higher Medicare payment for administering COVID-19 vaccines
By
Diane Eastabrook
Mar 16, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services now will pay healthcare providers, including home health care and hospice, more money to administer COVID-19 vaccines.
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield teams up with New York City to vaccinate seniors at home
By
Diane Eastabrook
Mar 16, 2021
In New York City this week, public health care workers are fanning out to all five boroughs to give the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccination to about 1,200 seniors in their homes.
States should fund senior living, relax visitation restrictions, association leaders tell governors
By
Lois A. Bowers
Mar 12, 2021
The National Governors Association should “strongly encourage” state governments to provide financial relief to senior living providers and caregivers for COVID-19-related expenses, Argentum President...
Long-term care should include more HCBS, panelists assert
By
Liza Berger
Mar 12, 2021
The long-term care system in coming years should include an expansion of home- and community-based services (HCBS), policy, advocacy and consumer experts said during a virtual roundtable discussion Thursday...
Loosened visitation restrictions for senior living may follow issuance of guidance for nursing homes,...
By
Lois A. Bowers
Mar 11, 2021
Senior living industry groups said they are hopeful that the visitation rules for nursing homes released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will spur states to make similar recommendations...
Increase vaccination uptake with focus on ‘movable middle’: report
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Mar 10, 2021
Senior living operators looking to increase staff COVID-19 vaccine uptake should focus their efforts on the “movable middle” by making vaccination easy, building trust in vaccine safety and offering...