News
Medicare Data Delivers Surprising News about Common Procedures for Elderly Patients
The statistics on healthcare spending on procedures for elderly patients are alarming. As much as 18% of a person’s lifetime medical expenses are spent during their last year of life. 30% of Medicare’s annual expenditures are spent caring for the 5% of recipients who will die during the same year. One-third of that money isRead the Rest…
Transitions from SNF to Home Lead to High 30-Day Hospital Readmission Rates
The rates of hospital readmissions after transitioning from hospital to a long-term care facility have been under scrutiny for some time because of the high costs to Medicare and Medicaid. Now, 30-day readmission rates after transitions to home from LTCs are being looked at too. The results aren’t good. A study of 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries,Read the Rest…
Patient Continuity of Care Lapses Linked to Hospital LCF Transitions
Continuity of care suffers during transitions from hospitals to long-term care facilities because 25 % of new patient care recommendations aren’t followed. As a Journal of Aging Research concludes, both long-term care facilities and hospitals contribute to the break in continuity of care. But financial penalties to hospitals with high readmission rates will likely driveRead the Rest…
Improving Continuity of Care Standards
Continuity of care standards is a big subject in healthcare these days. Topics include a patient’s ability to see the same physician each time they visit a practice; smoother transitions between hospital and long-term care; and expanding the use of electronic health records. While the Affordable Care Act tries to improve continuity of care issues,Read the Rest…
The Impact of an SNFist on Preventable Hospitalizations
Having an SNFist in a post-acute facility can make a significant impact on the number of hospital admissions and readmissions their patients are able to avoid. A SNFist is a physician who specializes in the care of patients residing in post-acute settings, such as assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. The Affordable Care Act addressesRead the Rest…
9 of the top 10 MCOs in the U.S. Have Contracted With The Post-Hospitalist Company, General Medicine
DETROIT, August 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Post Hospitalist Company, General Medicine, P.C. recently achieved another milestone. They are now contracted with 9 of the top 10 managed care companies in the U.S. and continues on a path of steady growth during the 3rd quarter of 2014. General Medicine is the nation’s leading provider ofRead the Rest…
Medicare Tracks ACOs Quality of Care
ACOs, networks of doctors and hospitals tasked with improving patient care while saving Medicare money, reported mixed rates of success in a February 2014 report that offered the first look at their effectiveness. Voluntary creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is the most prominent way the Affordable Care Act attempts to provide higher-quality care toRead the Rest…
Study Finds Nursing Home Rates at All-Time High
It’s no secret that the cost of receiving post-acute care is high, but recent survey results show they are at an all-time high after rising by as much as 4% over the last five years. Costs vary significantly by state and service, with the highest increases occurring for care provided in a post-hospitalist facility. Read the Rest…
5 Tips to Creating a Better Living Environment for Long-Term Patients
When it comes to providing elderly health care, creating a home-like environment in a facility designed for long-term care patients is the ideal situation for improving the patients’ and staff’s quality of life. The focus is shifting toward patient-centered care, an approach that puts the needs and wishes of long-term care patients ahead of theRead the Rest…
6 Tips to Creating an Improvement Plan for Nursing Centers
It is still unclear when the new QAPI rules under the Affordable Care Act will be adopted, but it’s not too early to begin developing a plan for improvements at your post hospital care facility. The rule, which is in the “Proposed Rule Stage” in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, is meant “toRead the Rest…