Regardless of fiscal cliff outcome, funding cuts loom
By
John O'Connor
Nov 26, 2012
We’re hearing much out of Washington these days about the looming fiscal cliff. Assessments about its impact run the gamut from no big deal to very big deal. As is usually the case, the truth is...
This cliffhanger shows few signs of a happy ending
By
John O'Connor
Oct 19, 2012
If you are hoping to learn before the Nov. 6 election whether planned federal budget cuts might be avoided, I have some advice: forget about it.
Post-election Congressional action might not be so ‘lame’
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 10, 2012
Like a pedestrian at a dangerous intersection, long-term care providers find themselves waiting for the stoplight to change when it comes to reimbursement policy.
Why are more RAC audits happening? There are trillions of reasons
By
John O'Connor
Sep 10, 2012
Recovery audit contractors are stepping up their efforts to review Medicare billings. This appears to be a classic case of auditors gone wild.
Let’s hope they don’t give war a chance
By
John O'Connor
Jul 30, 2012
Many long-term care insiders are starting to wonder if sequestration might not be so bad after all. That’s because a provision in the sequestration law caps Medicare funding cuts at 2%. All things...
iPods coming to an eldercare facility near you
By
Mary Gustafson
Jul 26, 2012
When I first spoke with Music & Memory founder Dan Cohen last year, he had big plans for his new program that would put iPods with personalized playlists in Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients’...
A band for every nursing home
By
Mary Gustafson
Jul 19, 2012
Nursing home residents — especially long-term residents — deserve to have the best entertainment that money can buy. Gary Gamponia, the director of the Los Angeles-based Pay It Forward jazz band, has...
It’s no time for providers to stick their heads in the sand
By
James M. Berklan
Jul 11, 2012
Some things I believe and some things I know. And I believe I know there is nothing more important for long-term care providers to do than getting better prepared for an intensified push to decrease rehospitalization...
The family secrets that hold back long-term care
By
John O'Connor
May 21, 2012
Several years ago I called some industry experts with a simple request. I asked if there was a place where I could find some basic benchmarks about industry spending. Didn’t think I was looking for...
A Father’s Day gift — from a father
By
James M. Berklan
May 16, 2012
Now that Mother’s Day has passed, it’s on to the next best thing, Father’s Day. This year, one long-term care professional has created an extra special twist to it, even though it’s...