As lawmakers pitch their ideas about healthcare reform, there is one agency that is not so easily swayed by political rhetoric. That is the Congressional Budget Office. This public-sector think tank, which...
Letting Medicaid be Medicaid
By
Liza Berger
Jun 11, 2009
If a disability insurance plan offered by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) passes, it would change the profile of Medicaid, Larry Minnix, president and CEO of the American Association of Homes and Services for...
AAHSA charges ahead on healthcare reform efforts
By
Liza Berger
Jun 09, 2009
The healthcare reform train is beginning to gather speed, and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is enjoying the ride. Today, Sen. Ed Kennedy (D-MA) released the much talked-about...
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...
Profile: Sen. Mel R. Martinez (R-FL), Ranking member, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
By
Liza Berger
Jun 01, 2009
Martinez’s Cuban roots have shaped his views on life, and his childhood experiences have given him a “more caring heart” for the elderly
For long-term care reformers, it’s move it or lose it
By
Liza Berger
Jun 02, 2009
It’s another big week for long-term care providers on Capitol Hill. Starting tomorrow, the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill will be humming with members of the American Health Care Association....
Two satisfaction reports show two sides of long-term care
By
Liza Berger
May 29, 2009
Paying careful attention to our Web news this week, you may have been scratching your heads about the state of resident satisfaction in long-term care facilities. The reason is two differing takes on the...
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....
Post-acute payment bundling system appears ominous
By
Liza Berger
May 21, 2009
Nursing homes have cause to worry about the prospect of a Medicare post-acute payment bundling system. If it pans out, facilities may end up on the losing side of the equation. That is just one of my takeaways...
National Nursing Home Week: Mardi Gras for residents
By
Liza Berger
May 13, 2009
Today, residents at Saint Anne Nursing & Rehabilitation Center are “Dancing With the Stars.” Yesterday, they received facials and foot rubs for “Pajama Day.” Tomorrow (Thursday) they will be partaking...