Final Medicaid Access Rule released, White House says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 22, 2024
A federal rule requiring providers to allocate at least 80% of home- and community-based payments to direct care worker pay has been finalized, President Biden said in a fact sheet posted Monday on the...
Policy initiatives underway to lessen direct care workforce shortages
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Apr 29, 2024
Direct care workforce shortages strain the healthcare system overall and affect access, quality and costs. Although no single answer to the issue exists, several policy initiatives and solutions underway...
Medicaid Access Rule review completed by White House
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 16, 2024
A proposed federal rule establishing mandatory quality measures for home- and community-based services and requiring providers to allocate 80% of HCBS payments to direct care worker pay is one step closer...
Providers need funding to improve Medicaid HCBS access, quality, advocates say
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
May 01, 2023
Senior living advocates are applauding steps announced by the federal government to ensure equitable access to home- and community-based services provided via the Medicaid program, but they say that funding...
State staffing policies could hamper MedPAC’s recommendations on federal mandate
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Oct 11, 2022
A federal minimum staffing mandate is on the horizon for nursing homes at the beginning of 2023. Providers and experts wonder just how the proposed mandate might address historic staffing shortages without...
HCBS access rule heads to final review amid senior living industry concerns
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Jan 31, 2024
A proposed federal rule establishing mandatory quality measures for home- and community-based services and requiring providers to allocate 80% of HCBS payments to direct care worker pay now is under final...
State allocates $1B+ for assistance to Medicaid, other program beneficiaries
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Aug 17, 2022
Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp (R) has set aside more than $1 billion for the state Department of Human Services to provide cash assistance of up to $350 per active enrollee in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition...
Caregiver pay in the balance as advocacy groups size up proposed spending requirements
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jul 17, 2023
As assisted living provider advocacy groups try to influence federal home- and community-based services-related policy, their comments are joined by thousands of others, some in agreement with industry...
Members of Congress call on CMS to collaborate in addressing nursing home workforce challenges
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Sep 14, 2022
A bipartisan group of members of the House of Representatives is looking to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to work with them to resolve workforce shortages experienced by nursing homes across...