News & Resources

In a recent memo released to state survey agencies, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies standards governing texting among health care providers, including both traditional SMS text messaging and messaging through apps desig… Read More

The previous Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities (22VAC40-72) are being repealed and will be replaced with new comprehensive regulations (22VAC40-73).[1] The new regulations take effect on February 1, 2018, although the Department of So… Read More

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to implement a new long-term care survey process on November 28, 2017. This new process is part of a larger regulatory revision to implement parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and Im… Read More

Two recent Virginia Court of Appeals decisions illustrate important morals:  If a provider chooses to practice outside the scope of her specialty and training or opts to use alternative courses of treatment, she may encounter licensing board sanctio… Read More

On January 18, 2017, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published a Final Rule that revises the requirements for the disclosure of substance use disorder patient records. Barring intervention by the Trump administr… Read More

The new Conditions of Participation published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on October 4, 2016 require nursing facility providers to make a number of changes to their policies, procedures, agreements and operations in advanc… Read More

Introduction On October 4, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Final Rule to revise Medicare and Medicaid participation requirements for nursing facilities.1 The regulat… Read More

On July 29, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released advance guidance and revisions to Chapter 7 of the State Operations Manual (SOM) regarding mandatory, immediate federal enforcement remedies for certain deficiencies and… Read More