Weekly News Wrap-Up (December 21 - December 25)

Two-Month Freeze for Medicare Physician Pay Included In New Spending Bill (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, December 23, 2009)
President Obama on Monday signed into law a fiscal 2010 Defense Department spending bill that contains a temporary freeze for Medicare physician pay, as well as Medicare eligibility guidelines. A 21% pay cut for Medicare physicians had been set to take effect on Jan. 1, but the new law will delay that cut until Feb. 28.

GAO Highlights Obstacles, Benefits of Nursing Home Temporary Management Sanctions (McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living, December 22, 2009)
Temporary management sanctions for troubled nursing homes can be an effective approach to improving quality in the short term, but more should be done to provide guidance for implementing the sanction, and to ensure long-term quality improvements, according to a new government report.