For many operators, the new federal budget is beginning to smell like a rotten onion. And as more of its layers get exposed, the stench keeps getting worse.
ICD 10: revenge of the weird and obscure
By
John O'Connor
Nov 02, 2015
It was just about a month ago that providers transitioned to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision – ICD-10. While the early reviews have been decidedly mixed, one thing is...
This ‘crackdown’ should really melt your cheese
By
John O'Connor
Oct 05, 2015
Can someone please tell me exactly what “melty cheese” is? The product exists in commercials but is apparently not to be found elsewhere. And as far as I can tell, no state regulators are cracking...
Feeling threatened at work? You’re probably a woman
By
John O'Connor
Sep 28, 2015
Who has the most dangerous jobs in America? Police officers? Fire fighters? Loggers?
Nuns against the neighbors, and NIMBY takes the lead
By
John O'Connor
Sep 21, 2015
I first heard about the sisters of Fraternite Notre Dame last winter, when two boilers broke down at a church they were running on Chicago’s West Side. The public ultimately came to their rescue...
Long-term care providers selling health insurance? Don’t laugh
By
John O'Connor
Sep 14, 2015
Signature HealthCARE is known as a high-end provider of skilled care services. Starting next month, it will also begin selling health insurance. As unusual as that might seem, it may not be long before...
Nursing homes and loopholes, a love story
By
John O'Connor
Aug 31, 2015
You can bet that nursing home-hired actuaries, lawyers, consultants and other assorted bean counters are going over new rules with a fine-tooth comb. They are looking for the next generation of potential...
Maybe we should start calling it short-term care?
By
John O'Connor
Jun 18, 2015
We used to call them nursing homes. But that changed during the ’80s and ’90s. The term would eventually lose out to another moniker with less negative baggage: long-term care.
What the future holds
By
John O'Connor
May 08, 2015
Like many people, I often wonder what operators should be doing to prep for the road ahead. So when the final program for last month’s NIC Capital Business Strategies Forum listed a session called...
Our government is a terrible thing — to hate (and a thank-you)
By
John O'Connor
Apr 17, 2015
Providers are finding their personal and professional relationships with the government tested these days. But before we all grab our torches and pitchforks, let’s take a deep breath.