Blog: Medicare

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A recent report of an unsafe Humboldt Park nursing home calls attention to the chronic problem of understaffed nursing homes that choose to put profits ahead of patient safety. In Illinois and around the country, nursing homes are attempting to cope with growing budget restraints by cutting down on the number of employees. Sadly, although these staff …

Although an immense amount of trust is placed in American nursing homes, our nursing home negligence lawyers recognize that some, particularly for-profit facilities, are prioritizing profit margins over patient care. A recent article in Bloomberg News revealed many troubling issues posed by our country’s nursing homes. The article cited November reports by federal health care …

Nursing home negligence lawyers at Pintas & Mullins point to a troubling new study published in the Annals of Surgery detailing the risk of abdominal procedures in nursing home residents. Compared to seniors of the same age undergoing the same surgical procedure, nursing home residents experienced substantially higher rates of mortality and invasive interventions. The …

Nursing home staff and supporters continue to protest Medicaid budget cuts proposed by Governor Pat Quinn this spring. Advocates for elderly patient care are concerned that further cuts will make the care in Illinois abysmal. Our experienced elder care attorneys are extremely concerned about the dangerous nursing home conditions that might result from reduced funding. …

Illinois nursing home lawyers at the Law Firm of Pintas & Mullins understand the decision to place a loved one in nursing home care is quite difficult. Families of elderly nursing home residents must trust that the nursing facility will provide essential services and adequate supervision. Unfortunately, some of the nation’s largest for-profit nursing homes …

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One of the main websites used by families to find a good nursing home is Nursing Home Compare. It’s sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, so it should be trustworthy. However, a study done by a professor at The University of Chicago has shown that the reports on that site may not …

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The so-called Fiscal Cliff Agreement that passed through Congress on New Year’s Day includes a compromise bill that may affect long-term care services. Nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys highlight this compromise bill, which repealed the CLASS Act and created a new federal commission to submit a proposal for financing and delivering long-term care needs. To those …

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Nearly 800 Illinois nursing home and long-term care facilities are struggling with newly announced Medicare cuts that will result in a double-digit payment drop. As the Bloomberg Businessweek reports, Medicare plans to slash payment rates by as much as 11% starting in October 2011. This is a drastic, unexpected reduction that will result in roughly $4 billion …

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Most people, even many doctors, are unsure how to talk about end-of-life care. Yet it is one of the most important and meaningful conversations you can have with a loved one. When an ailing elderly person must leave a hospital, or can no longer live independently, they often must choose between going to hospice care …

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A troubling report surfaced in the Chicago Tribune yesterday of a local psychiatrist submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Michael J. Reinstein of Community Mental Health Services in Uptown is accused of accepting illegal kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies for anti-psychotic medication prescriptions. Specifically targeting nursing home residents, Dr. Reinstein has been under investigation …

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Experts and researchers have maintained for years that federal fines vary tremendously from state to state. This disparity may be an indication that government oversight is lacking in our nation’s nursing homes. Senior abuse and neglect attorneys are concerned that the quality of care in nursing homes is compromised by this lack of oversight. ProPublica, a non-profit …

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Beginning January 1, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will reimburse health care providers for discussions with Medicare patients about the type of medical care they want at the end of their lives. The new rule will affect about 50 million Medicare patients, and some private insurers have already adopted this practice. The nursing …

Choosing a nursing home for yourself or a loved one can be among the most decisions difficult of your life. In a culture increasingly dependent on the internet, Medicare’s nursing home ranking website is exceedingly popular. There are more than 15,000 nursing homes in the United States; trying to find the right one is overwhelming, …