OIG: Nursing Facility Industry Segment-Specific Compliance Program Guidance

From https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/nursing-facility-icpg/ The Nursing Facility ICPG—together with OIG’s General Compliance Program Guidance (GCPG) that applies to all individuals and entities involved in the health care industry—serves as OIG’s updated and centralized source of voluntary compliance program guidance for nursing facilities. Nursing facilities can use the ICPG to help identify their own risks and …

Sepsis Primer: What Is It, and How Does It Tie Into Survey and QMs?

Sepsis—a key driver of hospital readmissions—can have negative clinical impacts for residents and negative financial, quality, survey, and even legal impacts for nursing homes. Here is a review of important basics: What is sepsis? The current clinical definition of sepsis is “life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response …

Diabetes Management in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care: JAMDA Clinical Practice Guideline

The newly revised Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes Management in the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) Setting provides (1) new information on overall goals in diabetes care, (2) detailed information on how to use and manage medication alternatives , and (3) information on the roles of interdisciplinary team members in …

CMS Revises QSO Memo re: Updates to Care Compare Staffing and Quality Measures

REVISED: Updates to Nursing Home Care Compare Staffing and Quality Measures Memo # QSO-25-01-NH REVISIONS TO QSO-23-21-NH, ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON September 20, 2023. • Adjustment to Staffing and Quality Measures: CMS will update the staffing level case-mix adjustment methodology and replace some of the Quality Measures (QMs) used on Nursing …

CMS QSO Memo: Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Vote

Compliance with Residents’ Rights Requirement related to Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Vote Memo #QSO-24-21-NH Posting Date 2024-09-26 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is affirming the regulatory expectation that ensures nursing home residents have the unimpeded ability to exercise their right to …

Revised SNF ABN (Form CMS-10055) Mandatory Oct. 31, 2024

With the help of contractors, CMS revised the SNF ABN, Form CMS-10055, and the form instructions.  The SNF ABN form and instructions are located in the download section and are available for immediate use, but will be mandatory for use on 10/31/2024.     Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) must issue a notice …

F689 Accident Survey Citations: What’s Behind These Immediate Jeopardies?

F-tag 689 (Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices) was the No. 1 tag cited at the immediate jeopardy (IJ) level in 2023—and remains at the top halfway into 2024, according to QCOR data accessed on June 30, 2024. In many ways, F689 is a catch-all tag, says Angie Szumlinski, LNHA, RN, GERO-BC, …

Taking the Mystery out of the Facility Assessment

Everyone loves a good mystery. Many like to watch their favorite mysteries on television or read a good thriller. However, mystery and suspense should not be a part of the facility assessment review. The final staffing rule released in April 2024 requires all facilities accepting Medicare and Medicaid payments to …