Image via WikipediaIt is estimated that almost one out of every 11 nursing homes do not contain a sprinkler system, between 20% and 30% do not have automatic sprinklers, and retrofitting will cost facilities roughly $850 million.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Wednesday that, within five years, all nursing homes will require full automatic sprinkler coverage to participate in Medicare. CMS also announced that the full financial burden of these upgrades will rest solely on the facility.

Reacting to the CMS rule, both the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging and the American Health Care Association have said that they support the requirement, but would like to see some financial assistance to help facilities undertake the endeavor. The organizations support the Nursing Facility Fire-Sprinkler Act of 2007, which would create a framework for issuing low-interest loans to nursing homes.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

CMS to Publish Final Rule

Long term care facilities such as nursing homes across America will, for the first time, have to protect their residents by installing sprinkler systems throughout their buildings if they wish to continue to serve Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, under a new regulation to be issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Facilities will have a five-year phase-in period to be fully compliant with the new rule.

Approximately three million elderly and disabled Americans reside in the nation’s 16,000 nursing homes, all of which must have comprehensive sprinkler systems in place by 2013. To date, there has never been a multiple-fatality fire in a facility with a sprinkler system that meets the requirements of today’s rule.

“CMS is taking further action to protect the lives of our beneficiaries through a more comprehensive and effective approach to fire safety,” said Kerry Weems, acting administrator of CMS. “In the past, certain older facilities were exempt from having an automatic sprinkler system, but we now will hold all 16,000 nursing homes in the nation to this standard.”

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced it will soon launch a ground-breaking ranking system of America’s nursing homes, giving each a “star” rating. CMS is requesting comments on the system designed to provide patients and their families an easy to understand assessment of nursing home quality, making meaningful distinctions between high performing and low performing homes.

The ratings will be posted on the agency’s Nursing Home Compare Web site by the end of this year. A sample screen shot of the proposed star ratings is available at www.cms.hhs.gov/PressContacts/10_PR_fivestar.asp. Medicare Compare can be found at www.medicare.gov.

“More than three million Americans rely on services provided by a nursing home at some point during the year. The new “five-star” rating system will provide a composite view of the quality and safety information currently on Nursing Home Compare to help beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily,” said Kerry Weems, CMS acting administrator.

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The leaders of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care will conduct a media conference call to release and comment on a new study from The Lewin Group outlining the negative impact to the U.S. economy resulting from the Bush Administration's recently-announced cut of $770 million to Medicare-financed nursing home care for FY 2009, on

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

11 am EDT

Dial in (800) 762-6067

The new analysis will also quantify how the Medicare cuts, announced last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will harm the U.S. jobs base and the ability of federal and state governments to generate revenue for key state and national priorities. Speakers will include:

Also to be released is new state by state data from AHCA indicating the 10 hardest-hit states by Medicare cuts to in nursing home care resulting from the $770 million FY 2009 funding reduction.

To reserve a place on the call, please contact Amy Weiss (Amy@pointblankpa.com) 202-203-0448 or Rebecca Reid 410-267-1128 (Reidconsulting@comcast.net).

-- Alan Rosenbloom, President of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care -- Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of the AHCA -- Al Dobson, Consultant, The Lewin Group, and -- Tony Marshall, Reimbursement Director for the Florida Health Care Association

SOURCE The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care

Source :PR Newswire

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
"With Liberty and Access for All!"
GrandCentral: 517-589-4081
MDRC Website: http://www.copower.org/
LTC Blog: http://ltcreform.blogspot.com/
Recovery: http://therecoveringlife.blogspot.com/
Change: http://prosynergypsc.blogspot.com/

New and updated data, Statehealthfacts.org: Statehealthfacts.org has added new and updated data on Medicare and Medicaid. New data from the CMS Office of the Actuary on Medicare on Medicare spending estimates by state of residence for 1995 through 2004 are available for all states. These estimates are based on where individuals reside and include total Medicare spending; spending on hospital care, physician services, dental services, home health care, drugs and nursing home care; total per enrollee spending; per enrollee spending by service type; and the average annual percent growth in Medicare spending from 1995 to 2004. New data on total Medicaid spending estimates by state of residence for 1995 through 2004 also are available for all states (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 5/1).