Democrats tying their fates to passage of health reform?
By
John O'Connor
Apr 01, 2010
When President Obama signed sweeping healthcare reform legislation into law, he might have been helping determine whether congressional Democrats seeking re-election in the fall would likely keep their...
Odds don’t favor another round of Obamacare
By
John O'Connor
Apr 23, 2012
The Supreme Court may be two months away from announcing whether President Barack Obama’s health care law is legal. But court watchers are already speculating on what will happen if the measure is...
Strange ways to deal with long-term care’s staffing challenge
By
John O'Connor
Nov 15, 2013
It’s no secret that our nation’s long-term care facilities need additional caregivers. More than 43,000 direct care staff positions remain unfilled, according to figures from the American Health...
The Big Picture
By
John O'Connor
Mar 11, 2006
Paddy Bauler is a largely forgotten Chicago politician who owns an immortal phrase.
“Chicago ain’t ready for reform,” the 43rd Ward alderman once observed. The statement came 50 years...
Obama budget offers providers mixed bag
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2010
President Obama’s $3.8 trillion budget plan for 2011 promises carrots and sticks.
Immigration reform won’t solve long-term care’s fundamental staffing challenge
By
John O'Connor
Apr 05, 2013
Long-term care operators are understandably giddy about the sudden prospect of immigration reform. But they might want to curb their enthusiasm.
Healthcare reform, Medicare just pawns on campaign trail
By
John O'Connor
Oct 01, 2012
When it comes to healthcare reform and Medicare, long-term care operators tend to focus on the so-called small pieces. These include things such as therapy caps, Minimum Data Set payments and forced reimbursement...
Obama against caps for malpractice suits
By
John O'Connor
Jul 01, 2009
President Obama told a roomful of doctors that he does not favor caps for malpractice awards. But he indicated he may be open to “apology legislation.”
An emerging union challenge: ‘micro’ management
By
John O'Connor
Mar 27, 2015
The National Labor Relations Board’s willingness to let smaller groups of people form “micro unions” has many operators on edge.
The Alzheimer’s investment that’s not being made
By
John O'Connor
Jun 13, 2016
Our best hope to make progress against Alzheimer’s disease probably lies in the form of increased research funding.