Bizarre decision shows that when it comes to 3-day stay rule, there ought to be a law
By
John O'Connor
Oct 11, 2013
There are many odd animals roaming our healthcare industrial complex. But few are more bizarre than Medicare’s three-day rule. Or more deserving of extinction.
Facilities approach 15% goal for antipsychotics reduction
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2013
For decades, many providers have viewed antipsychotic drugs as a necessary evil for treating residents with dementia. But increasingly, these medications are just being seen as evil. So it’s hardly...
Uh-oh, Congress is about to ‘fix’ your hiring problems
By
John O'Connor
Jun 07, 2013
Many providers are hoping immigration reform can help ease the field’s chronic understaffing challenges. But like many problems the government sets out to solve, this one is likely to cause a few...
Latest Medicare fraud allegations just an appetizer
By
John O'Connor
May 10, 2013
As we’ve been predicting here for some time, allegations of mismanaged therapy care are starting to land nursing homes in some seriously hot water.
Pssst, here’s how the LTC lobby can eliminate the 3-day rule — and gain other Congressional perks
By
John O'Connor
Apr 19, 2013
You might not be old enough to remember the “Schoolhouse Rock” videos that aired between cartoons on Saturday mornings during the 1970s. One of my favorites was “I’m Just a Bill.”...
Shamelessly invoice at your own risk
By
John O'Connor
Mar 22, 2013
Here’s the good news for providers: new analytics are making it possible to understand and bill your care in ways that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Here’s the bad news:...
More evidence that long-term care operators are not simply heartless bottom feeders
By
John O'Connor
Jan 28, 2013
What matters most to long-term care operators? Certainly, remaining in business is a top priority. But providers are not just fixated on the bottom line. Here are some telltale signs.
Fiscal cliff notes: Why long-term care operators should take a lesson from Dr. Seuss
By
John O'Connor
Dec 14, 2012
If you are like most long-term care professionals, you are likely watching the ongoing fiscal cliff standoff with a mixture of fear and disgust.
As HUD gets its house in order, more long-term care operators are buying in
By
John O'Connor
Dec 10, 2012
It wasn’t so long ago that long-term care operators looked at HUD funding with a disdain bordering on contempt. But the Department of Housing and Urban Development has come a long way in a short...
Hurricane Sandy delivered a wallop – and a troubling reminder about life’s uncertainties
By
John O'Connor
Nov 05, 2012
We humans tend to be creatures of habit. Most of us like to develop daily routines and stick with them. This approach has its benefits. It saves a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted sorting out...