CMS released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model, which aims to expand the benefits of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to more Medicare beneficiaries. The model supports a broad range of participants and providers by offering enhanced support to small...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized revisions to the State Operations Manual (SOM) governing nursing home surveys and complaint investigations. The guidance was initially released through QSO 26 03 NH on January 30, 2026, with revisions to Chapters 5 and 7, and was subseque...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) Proposed Rule, outlining several proposed updates to Medicare payment rates, quality programs, and data reporting requirements for skilled nursing faci...
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new investigation examining possible opioid overuse, misuse, or diversion in nursing homes. While federal scrutiny of psychotropics in long-term care is familiar terrain, this initiative signals renew...
Suzetrigine (brand name Journavx) is a recently approved, first-in-class, oral, non-opioid analgesic indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2025, it represents the first novel mechanistic class of oral analgesic in ...
Chronic subclinical hypohydration in SNF residents is real, measurable, and consequential — and the clinical and regulatory framework for addressing it already exists. This article is a response to Nursing Home Parenteral Therapies: Clinical Guidance and Payment Considerations in last month’s Caring for th...
Endless research has been done to evaluate the factors that initiate and lead to smoking addiction. The teenage years are usually the starting point for most smokers. It begins as a cool thing when company and peer pressure persuade them to perform certain acts. Rationalization and introspection are not th...
Post-acute and long-term care is a specific area of practice, which means clinicians need a unique set of skills to excel. That’s why PALTmed created its new PALTessentials course: Navigating Clinical Practice. Featuring 16 interactive on-demand modules, along with valuable resources and tools, the self-pa...