Emotions will be running high at the rapidly approaching conference of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The question is, will the mood be one of elation or disappointment?
Medicaid payment bundling sparks controversy in Ohio
By
Liza Berger
Oct 28, 2009
Medicaid payment bundling is emerging as a key topic in national healthcare reform. As part of their research on bundling, federal lawmakers should pay attention to what is happening in Ohio.
The time of year for a ‘prevent’ defense
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 23, 2009
Amid the work on long-term care reform, legislators passed a welcome bit of legislation on falls prevention.
Longer life expectancy has an underside
By
Liza Berger
Aug 20, 2009
A child born in 2007 can expect to live to nearly 78, according to preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of course, that is good news. Everyone should be entitled to...
Judge facilities on an individual basis
By
Liza Berger
Aug 07, 2009
A significant and perhaps somewhat controversial piece of research was released this week suggesting that not-for-profit nursing homes offer higher quality care overall than for-profits. That’s great...
No vacation time for nursing homes this month
By
Liza Berger
Aug 04, 2009
It’s the lazy month of August—and time to get busy. That is, if you’re a nursing home association. Instead of sitting in hammocks idling away the hours, members of the two major lobbying groups will...
Enacting Medicare cuts in name of healthcare reform is reckless, irresponsible
By
Liza Berger
Jul 30, 2009
This healthcare reform debate is swirling faster than a Tilt-A-Whirl at an amusement park. It has been swinging from a move toward the removal of a public option to reports of senators still bogged down...
Walter Cronkite’s last broadcasts
By
Liza Berger
Jul 22, 2009
I was too young to remember the legendary broadcasts of Walter Cronkite. But thanks to the cable channel Retirement Living TV and its companion Web site (www.rl.tv), I can say I watched the consummate...
Long-term care reform may have to wait
By
Liza Berger
Jun 04, 2009
There was no battle cry. No calls to storm the halls of Congress. Instead the message at the American Health Care Association’s two-day Congressional Briefing was subtle: You can ask lawmakers...
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....