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Category Archives for Health Care Facility News
70/40 Staffing Requirement: Anything But “Reform”
The 2021-22 Executive Budget includes a provision to limit nursing home profit margins by requiring that a minimum of 70% of nursing home revenue be spent on direct resident care, including 40% for resident-facing staff. All nursing homes subject to the 70/40 staffing requirement that fail to comply with this provision on an annual basis, […]
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Suozzi’s WISH Act a Good Start; More is Needed
Opinion by Jennifer B. Cona, Esq. as published in Long Island Business News U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) introduced federal legislation last week that provides for the creation of a federal long-term care insurance trust fund to help pay for our aging population’s long term health care needs at home. This is smart policy […]
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WHO’s WHO: Healthcare Law
Published in Long Island Business News Special Section June 2021 Jennifer B. Cona is the founder and managing partner of Cona Elder Law PLLC in Melville. In practice for more than two de-cades, Cona Elder Law offers unsurpassed advocacy in health-care reimbursement and recovery, elder law, litigation and col-lections. Representing over 200 skilled nursing facilities, […]
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HOLY SMOKE! Recreational Marijuana Use in New York: What Does It Mean for Your Facility?
New Yorkers are abuzz with the news that the state has legalized recreational adult use of marijuana effective September 2022. Under the Compassionate Care Act, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) have supported the use of medical marijuana for residents with qualifying conditions since the Act was passed in 2014. With legalized […]
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Is Your SNF Ready for the Pandemic After Shock: Reform Bills Pass this Week
As we approach the one-year mark of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the promise of increased vaccinations and “herd immunity” come along with the heartbreaking news that 500,000+ Americans have now been lost to this illness – many of them seniors. Skilled Nursing Facilities on the front lines of the pandemic have suffered catastrophic […]
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Nursing Home Workers – The Unsung Heroes of the COVID-19 Crisis When New York State Abandoned the Nursing Home Industry
By Dana Walsh Sivak, Esq. Nursing homes battling on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic fell victim to a series of mixed messages and misguided policies issued by the highest levels of New York’s state leadership, resulting in catastrophic loss of life among elderly New Yorkers. Nonetheless, nursing home workers rose to the challenge […]
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Aging & Cannabis: Why People Over Age 60 Account for the Largest Demographic Spike in Cannabis Use
The Compassionate Care Act of 2014 legalized the use of medicinal marijuana in New York State. Since that time, a growing number of older adults are turning to medical marijuana to help treat a number of serious and debilitating medical conditions and to improve their overall quality of life. In fact, since the law passed, […]
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The Tough Conversation: How to Discuss Assisted Living with Your Parents
While most of us have visions of aging in place, this isn’t feasible for everyone. In fact, illness, help with daily activities and a confluence of other factors mean you may need to discuss assisted living with your parents. If mishandled, this can be one of the most difficult conversations you’ll ever have with your parents. […]
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Medical Marijuana and the Elderly: Demographic Demand vs. Practical Barriers to Access
by Dana Walsh Sivak In 2014, the New York State legislature passed the Compassionate Care Act,[1] which legalized the use of medicinal marijuana in New York. Since that time, a growing number of older adults are turning to medical marijuana to help treat a number of serious and debilitating medical conditions and to improve their […]
Continue readingBack in the Black – Value Based Payment Amendments: What Health Care Facilities Need to Know
Your facility may have been approached by an MLTC plan to enter into a Value Based Payment (“VBP”) amendment to your MLTC plan participating provider contract. Should your facility consider it? And if so, what do you need to know?What is Value Based Payment (VBP)?Value Based Payment is a pay-for-performance initiative set forth by the New […]
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