Medicare Won’t Cover Rapid At-Home Covid Tests
Americans’ ability to quickly and easily test for Covid-19 is one of the most important tools for stopping the infection’s spread. This is why the Biden administration recently announced it is requiring private insurers to cover the cost of up to eight rapid at-home Covid tests a month purchased at retail stores and pharmacies. But […]
Nursing Homes Grapple with Whether to Force Staff to Get Vaccinated
As COVID-19 cases start to rise again due to the highly contagious Delta variant, nursing homes are considering requiring staff members to be vaccinated. Only 59 percent of nursing home staff are partially or fully vaccinated nationwide, and the percentages are much lower in some states. While 81 percent of nursing home residents are fully […]
Biden Administration Eases Recommended Restrictions on Nursing Home Visits
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidance on whether families can visit loved ones in nursing homes. The guidance allows indoor visitation even when the resident has not been vaccinated. The coronavirus pandemic has hit long-term care facilities particularly hard, with more than 170,000 residents and employees dying of COVID-19. Most […]
Medicare Beneficiaries May Be Eligible for an Extra 100 days of Skilled Nursing Coverage Due to Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for nursing homes and their residents. Aside from the tragically disproportionate loss of life, care for surviving residents has been delayed or interrupted due to infection, facility lockdowns, or other health system disruptions. In such cases, Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for skilled nursing facility (SNF) coverage may be eligible […]
How Low Nursing Home Wages Are Contributing to COVID-19's Spread
CDC’s survey of some 100 nearby long-term care facilities found that staff members who worked in more than one facility and/or who worked while sick were among the leading contributors to the facilities’ vulnerability to infection.
Coronavirus Relief Funds Paid to Deceased Americans Must Be Returned
With another round of stimulus checks in negotiations, here is some perspective from the first round about deceased family members receiving stimulus checks.
How Your Stimulus Check Affects Medicaid Eligibility
The pending approval of a second round of stimulus payments under the Senate’s HEALS Act provides a good reminder of how the first wave of payments was calculated. The coronavirus relief bill includes a direct payment to most Americans, but this has Medicaid recipients wondering how the payment will affect them. Because the payment is […]
States Move to Immunize Nursing Homes from Liability During Coronavirus Pandemic
Immunity for nursing homes during the Coronavirus Pandemic?
How the Coronavirus Has Brought Ageism into Stark Relief
COVID-19 has brought ageism to the forefront
Should You Bring Your Parent Home from the Nursing Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
With the coronavirus pandemic hitting nursing homes and assisted living facilities especially hard, families are wondering whether they should bring their parents or other loved ones home. It is a tough decision with no easy answers. Growing Cases The number of coronavirus cases in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country continues to grow. […]
