Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare POST-EVENT TRAINING MATERIALS AVAILABLE for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) and Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Updated Guidance Virtual Training Program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a virtual training program that provides instruction on the updated guidance for the IRF Patient…… Continue reading IRF/LTCH Updated Guidance Virtual Training Program Materials Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) announces the release of its 2022 data book (208 pages) on health care spending and the Medicare program. The publication provides data on Medicare spending, demographics of the Medicare population, beneficiaries’ access to care, and quality of care in the…… Continue reading MedPAC Releases 2022 Data Book on Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by LTCHs to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from Quarter 4, 2020 through Quarter 3, 2021, and for the LTCH Change in Mobility measure, Quarter 4, 2019 and Quarter 3, 2020 through Quarter 3,…… Continue reading July 2022 Refresh of LTCH QRP Data Now Available 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The data are based on quality assessment data submitted by IRFs to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from Quarter 4, 2020 through Quarter 3, 2021. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measures reflect data from Quarter 3, 2020 through Quarter 2, 2021…… Continue reading July 2022 Refresh of IRF QRP Data is Now Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare After two years of planning and preparation, the new three-digit suicide prevention line, 988, will go live on Saturday, July 16. In 2020, Congress designated the new 988 dialing code to operate through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health…… Continue reading 988 – These 3 Numbers Can Save Lives!

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare  CMS is providing notifications to facilities that were determined to be out of compliance with Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements for CY 2021, which will affect their FY 2023 Annual Payment Update (APU). Non-compliance notifications are being distributed by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and…… Continue reading Quality Reporting Program: Non-Compliance Letters for FY 2023 APU

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Please join the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and her leadership team, who will provide an update on CMS’ recent accomplishments and how our cross-cutting initiatives are advancing CMS’ Strategic Plan. CMS serves the public as a trusted…… Continue reading Third (3rd) National Stakeholder Call with CMS Administrator

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Post-acute care (PAC) represents an important component of the health care delivery system in the United States, with the Medicare fee-for-service program spending more than $57 billion on these services in 2019 (The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), 2021a). PAC providers include skilled nursing facilities (SNFs),…… Continue reading Report to Congress: Unified Payment for Medicare-Covered Post-Acute Care 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare In January 2022, CMS began posting new weekend staffing and staff turnover measures on Care Compare (CMS memorandum QSO 22-08-NH). These measures will be included in Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System methodology starting with the July 2022 Care Compare refresh. In addition to…… Continue reading Staffing Measure Rating Changes with the July 2022 Refresh 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Just this morning (Wednesday, July 6, 2022), CMS posted QSO-22-20-Hospitals with the same title as this blog. On September 30, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and…… Continue reading Hospitals: Infection Prevention and Control and Antibiotic Stewardship Program Interpretive Guidance Update