‘New’ AHCA mantra:
House Speaker Dennis Hastert made a surprise visit to a gathering of nursing home providers last month in Washington.
The appearance of the man just “two heartbeats”...
Budget offers pay concerns
By
James M. Berklan
Mar 08, 2018
Even though a new, unified payment system has been discussed for several years, the mere mention of it in President Trump’s budget proposal jolted observers in February. The budget specifically said...
GAO: Medicaid flaws found
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2012
People seeking Medicaid coverage for long-term care are subjected to differing asset-verification checks among the states, a new report finds.
Obamacare replacement bill faces tougher test in Senate
By
James M. Berklan
Apr 05, 2017
While House Republican leaders were trying to tie up loose ends to get their proposal for repealing and replacing Obamacare across the finish line, Senators on both sides of the aisle were predicting a...
50 years: Policy experts to examine the past, project the future of long-term care
By
James M. Berklan
May 22, 2014
Top U.S. health policy experts will examine changes in quality of care, service delivery and financing for long-term care for the last 25 years — and project them for the next 25 years — in a meeting...
CMS eases doc delegation
By
James M. Berklan
May 01, 2013
Skilled nursing operators now have greater flexibility in allowing non-physicians to do certain tasks. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services clarified what may be delegated in an April 3 brief.
New wave of pro-labor rulings seen as gift for large unions
By
James M. Berklan
Oct 01, 2011
Opponents of organized labor — which include many long-term care providers — feel swamped by recent pro-union rulings from the National Labor Relations Board.
Study finds survey system ‘broken and can’t be fixed’
By
James M. Berklan
Sep 01, 2008
A leading nursing-home association is calling for an independent panel to come up with new methods for overseeing nursing facilities. The association’s task force issued 31 recommendations, highlighting...
AAHSA Chief Renews Call For Nursing Care Documentation
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 01, 2007
While many providers reacted angrily to a New York Times investigation into nurse staffing levels at equity-owned nursing homes, the leader of the nation’s second-largest nursing home association...
Providers applaud passage of rural healthcare technology bill
By
James M. Berklan
Jun 09, 2016
After months of intense lobbying, long-term care providers are celebrating the Senate’s passage of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2015. The measure opens up Federal Commerce Commission...