In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, entities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with intellectual Disabilities, long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and dedicated hospice facilities, collectively referred to as post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) facilities, may need to adjust operations and standards of care in order to preserve and effectively allocate limited …
Three Day Rule
A Skilled Nursing News article highlights that during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verna announced changes to the rules governing nursing homes including waiving the requirement of a three-day hospital visit for Medicare to cover an SNF stay. The goal of waiving this requirement was to reserve hospital beds for …
Relief Healthcare Facilities
Many COVID-19 cases are geographically localized and can overwhelm local healthcare facilities. Healthcare systems typically have uneven distribution of COVID-19 cases with some regional healthcare systems experiencing patient surges while others have excess capacity for patient care. When healthcare facilities reach or exceed patient capacity “Crisis Standards of Care” are often implemented. Healthcare systems entering Crisis Standards of Care are …
COVID-19 Associated Exposure Checklist
Lessons learned from previous epidemics include the importance of protecting health care workers from exposure and factors associated with shortfalls in the prevention of hospital-associated infections. In response to these shortfalls, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have outlined risk assessment and management post-exposure which includes categorization of risk level for infection. That …
HealthCap Member’s Staff Living in Facility During COVID-19 Outbreak
Six staff members of the Greeley Care Home and Assisted Living community have been living in the facility for the past three weeks! When the virus became a serious matter, the leadership team decided the best way to keep it out “was to keep people out and for us not to be bringing it in. So we moved in,” Administrator …
Are You Concerned About Rehospitalizations?
Well, you aren’t alone! Providers all over the country have been focusing on reducing the number of re-hospitalizations! And what a great goal to have, right? The problem we encounter is that we can’t seem to get a handle on the “why” and the “how” to prevent them. As we quickly approach the flu and influenza season (sorry but true) …
Calculating Notice of Intent and Tolling Period of Malpractice Claims
A few weeks ago the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on an issue of first impression for the court: is the limitations period for a malpractice claim tolled when the Notice of Intent (“NOI”) is filed on the last day of the limitations period? The Court held that the limitations period was tolled and provided plaintiff with an additional day to …
CMS Issues Proposed Revision Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities’ Arbitration Agreements
FACT SHEET FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 5, 2017 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Issues Proposed Revision Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities’ Arbitration Agreements The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed revisions to arbitration agreement requirements for long-term care facilities. These proposed revisions would help strengthen transparency in the arbitration process, …
HealthCap 2001 to 2016 and Beyond
HealthCap was formed in 2001 in response to rapidly escalating claim costs which caused liability insurance companies to abandon the senior living industry. If you are old enough to remember the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and you are still in the industry, congratulations on your persistence. You certainly recall how one day insurance coverage was ubiquitous and cheap and …