December 2016

Vol. 43 No. 12

December

Cover Story

ACOs Bring Assisted Living Into The Fold

Since their advent into long term and post-acute care in 2012, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have started with a hospital system as the nucleus and partners taken from the skilled nursing and home health arenas.

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Column

Caregiving

Educating Patients On Sudden Death Syndrome In Epilepsy

For people living with epilepsy, achieving freedom from seizures is the ultimate goal of treatment, and health care professionals in long term and post-acute care settings have an important role to play in helping patients and residents with epilepsy achieve this goal.
Column

ZPICs Use An Arsenal Of Weapons To Fight Fraud

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) significantly revised Chapter 4 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual (PIM). The changes outline investigative instructions and procedures governing Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs), whose audits aim to prevent, detect, and deter fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare program.
Column

Management

Quality

For Rural Providers, Location Does Matter

Between one-third and one-half of all nursing centers are in rural areas. Compared with urban skilled nursing providers, rural providers often face less competition for market share, resulting in strong occupancy.
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Quality

The Quality Forum

Providers are right to be concerned and begin learning everything possible about the 700 plus pages of the rule.