Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! What has Santa brought you this year? The usual: A preliminary recommendation to freeze Medicare rates for the following year.
MedPAC idea could be bad for nursing homes
By
Liza Berger
May 27, 2009
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) recently introduced legislation that would make the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) part of the executive branch. The proposal is at once both logical and worrisome....
Tax bill reveals a great divide in long-term care
By
John O'Connor
Dec 04, 2017
One of the more interesting aspects of the epic battle over the tax reform bill has been this sector’s response. One major long-term care organization continues to blast proposed changes while the...
Healthcare to miss Kennedy
By
Liza Berger
Aug 26, 2009
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), who died late Tuesday at 77, shepherded pivotal healthcare legislation through Congress. His best accomplishment may have been yet to come, according to the leader of a major...
Seniors take Medicare cuts seriously
By
Liza Berger
Aug 11, 2009
Lawmakers should have seen it coming. When they proposed cutting Medicare by the billions over the next decade they should have suspected that seniors would rise up to protest. And that’s exactly what...
Bill protects nursing home market basket
By
Liza Berger
Sep 16, 2009
It’s not perfect, but the $856 billion, 10-year bill released today cuts nursing homes some slack. To be specific, the bill, which was released by the Senate Finance Committee, would not reduce the...
No easy chair for AHCA’s Bob Van Dyk
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 26, 2010
Reflecting on the recently concluded American Health Care Association annual meeting, it seems there were almost too many star players for one conference.
Heroes’ welcome gets rave reviews
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 05, 2011
The Assisted Living Federation of America did it right today: It gave the profession five major reasons to be proud of itself. The pride comes in the form of individuals who were celebrated as ALFA’s...
What a year it was for nursing homes!
By
Liza Berger
Dec 29, 2010
It’s too bad that 2010 should end with a damning report about Medicare overbilling. It’s not exactly the best way for nursing home providers to greet the new year.
Reducing seniors’ drug use, one iPod at a time
By
John O'Connor
Mar 28, 2014
For reasons that are understandable yet hard to countenance, antipsychotic drugs are widely used in nursing homes. Too often over-used, according to government statistics. But it’s beginning to look...