Diana Manos

Leaders of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care have said they are alarmed over aspects of the Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) payment rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last Thursday.

The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new initiative that will reward hospitals for the quality of care they provide to Medicare beneficiaries. HHS officials said the program would also help reduce healthcare costs.

Enrollment in consumer-directed health plans grew by 22 percent in 2010, according to a study commissioned by the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations.

Is it too early to think about the 2012 elections and potential candidates' takes on healthcare? I don't think so. Healthcare promises to be the mother of all topics for this upcoming election.

The U.S. Supreme Court will not take up Virginia's lawsuit on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act until the case has gone through all the lower courts.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities in fiscal year 2012. The rule would increase payment rates under the IRF Prospective Payment System by a projected 1.5 percent — an estimated $120 million nationwide.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced on Tuesday four arrests were made in a south suburban Chicago nursing home after a surprise "Operation Guardian" compliance check.

Physicians from larger practices get paid more on call than those from smaller practices, according to a new survey by the Medical Group Management Association.

A new survey shows one in six employers favor a federally funded universal healthcare system.

Health insurance provider Highmark plans to launch a two-year, patient-centered medical home pilot project.