Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

$25 million should put a little muscle back into weak background check systems.

Extra funding could be flowing in that will make sure bad apples stay out of long-term care facilities.
 
That is, if states get their applications in by September 20.
     
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Justice are ready to go with a pilot program that will identify "best practices" for long term care providers in determining whether job applicants have any criminal history or other background issues that could make them unfit to work directly with patients.
     
As mandated by the Medicare Modernization Act, the program sets aside $25 million to fund and evaluate the pilots, which will operate in up to 10 states. According to CMS, states that are awarded the grant funds can assist long term care providers in starting up or improving comprehensive background check programs. Facility managers and employees could also see better patient abuse prevention training. Pilot participants will be announced this fall, and the programs would run through 2007.
     
"This pilot program will give potential employers valuable tools to help them determine whether an applicant is the best person for the job," says CMS Administrator Mark McClellan. "We are also taking further steps to equip such workers with the proper training and other tools they need to be effective caregivers," he added.
     
For more information, go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/survey-cert/bcp.asp. Lesson Learned: New background check pilot programs could offer facilities free help in staying compliant with quality of care standards.