Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Consumers Are Getting New Information About Nursing Home Staffing But Need More

With nursing homes and other long-term care facilities desperately short of nurses and aides, it is more important than ever for consumers to know about staffing levels, quality, and turnover. But it has been difficult to get some key information. Now, the government has taken a modest step to help. In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) [...]

By |2022-02-03T13:54:49-05:00February 3rd, 2022|nursing homes, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Will Medicare Pay For The New Alzheimer’s Drug?

Last month, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a controversial new drug to treat people with Alzheimer’s disease. But even though the FDA allowed the drug to be sold, Medicare is not required to pay for it. And yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began a process to determine whether Medicare will establish a national coverage [...]

By |2021-07-13T13:57:06-04:00July 13th, 2021|dementia|0 Comments

The Federal Government Will Require Nursing Homes to Report Covid-19 Vaccine Rates for Staff And Residents

The federal agency that regulates nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will require facilities to publicly report covid-19 vaccination rates for staff and residents starting May 21. The rule is likely to press operators to boost staff vaccine rates to at least the 75 percent rate that industry trade groups have set as a goal  Some [...]

By |2021-05-12T11:58:27-04:00May 12th, 2021|nursing homes|0 Comments

The Trump Administration’s COVID-19 Non-Guidance About Reopening Nursing Homes to Family Visitors

“When will I be allowed to visit my mother again?” That’s been the question on the minds of the families of millions of residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other senior communities who effectively have been locked down since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold two months ago. Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) put out [...]

By |2020-05-19T14:23:54-04:00May 19th, 2020|nursing homes|3 Comments

The Trump Administration Finally Is Requiring Nursing Homes To Report COVID-19 Cases. It Is Not Nearly Enough.

The Trump Administration has finally said it would require nursing homes to report cases of COVID-19 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and, eventually, to families of residents. The move is welcome, but it is far too little and, for many families, far too late. On Friday, The New York Times reported that more than 36,500 residents [...]

By |2020-04-20T11:13:10-04:00April 20th, 2020|nursing homes|7 Comments

What You Should Know About The Government’s New Nursing Home Rules

For the first time in 25 years the federal government has completed a comprehensive revision of the way it regulates nursing homes, where 1 million older adults and younger people with disabilities reside. The new regulations—all 700 pages worth—govern everything from staffing and dispute resolution to enhancing the role of residents and families in designing care. They’ll take effect in [...]

By |2016-09-30T11:49:41-04:00September 30th, 2016|Blog|2 Comments

Dementia Patients Still Getting Dangerous Antipsychotic Drugs In Nursing Homes

More than one out of every five nursing home residents is still being given powerful antipsychotic drugs despite a growing consensus that they are inappropriate and often dangerous. These drugs frequently are given to “calm” dementia patients even though many are approved only for the treatment of diseases such as schizophrenia. Despite a federal initiative, a $2.2 billion legal settlement [...]

By |2013-11-20T18:58:22-05:00November 20th, 2013|Aging, dementia, nursing homes|0 Comments