Lawmakers passed an omnibus bill this week that would eliminate revisit user fees.

The acting administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said Wednesday that it "would not have been [his] choice" to withhold the names of 74 poorly performing nursing homes from the public while at the same time releasing the information to nursing home advocates.

Spokesmen for the parties involved with the sale of the largest nursing home chain in the country say they are ready to close the deal "immediately."

After much wrangling and negotiating, Congress has managed to pass a Medicare bill before the winter recess.

Inspectors from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been issuing an ever-growing number of serious citations against nursing homes, according to a USA Today analysis featured in Wednesday's newspaper and online. According to the CMS, the number of "immediate jeopardy" citations rose 22% between 2000 and 2006, the newspaper reported.

Admissions agreements used by many Missouri nursing homes are misleading to residents and family members and, in some cases, violate federal laws, according to new study results.

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would freeze the so-called "75% Rule" compliance level at a 60% level, a threshold that is much less favorable to long-term care providers. It was part of a $4.6 billion Medicare package that also would replace a planned 10% Medicare payment cut to physicians with a 0.5% increase for six months.