Life, death and other tough choices for nursing homes
By
John O'Connor
Nov 21, 2014
As Mom used to say, where you stand usually depends on where you sit. That adage seems especially relevant for handling the wishes of residents diagnosed with terminal conditions.
We are stunned, stunned that such prescribing could occur
By
John O'Connor
Feb 11, 2019
As Cindy Lauper famously sang, money changes everything. And when it comes to medicine, there are billions and billions of reasons why hinky behavior might occur.
The Supreme Court is about to deliver another blow to unions
By
John O'Connor
Feb 05, 2018
An upcoming Supreme Court ruling might be the end of public unions. As far as most nursing home operators are concerned, it’s too bad the same fate wouldn’t extend to non-public unions as well.
Bed taxes and other troubling compromises
By
John O'Connor
Aug 04, 2014
As my colleague Tim Mullaney reported last week, the Government Accountability Office has been taking a closer look at Medicaid bed taxes lately. And the investigative arm of Congress doesn’t seem...
A toxic nursing home strike that gets weirder by the day
By
John O'Connor
Feb 11, 2013
The late Hunter S. Thompson famously said that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. By his logic, the management and workers involved in a strike across five HealthBridge Management facilities...
The Affordable Care Act is here to stay, even if nobody seems to know what that means
By
John O'Connor
Nov 12, 2012
As late as Friday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) indicated he still would like to upend Obamacare. But he really needs to find a less frustrating way to spend his working hours.
Is it any wonder this field has an identity crisis?
By
John O'Connor
Aug 25, 2014
What’s in a name? That’s a fairly topical question, given the many differing views on how best to describe the business we’re in. Not that this field’s identity crisis is a recent...
Here’s what’s really troubling about the latest damning report
By
John O'Connor
May 29, 2023
We can thank researchers at the University of Chicago for the latest whack at the piñata better known as the nursing home industry.
When it comes to free Medicaid dollars, some governors in a state of denial
By
John O'Connor
Jun 10, 2013
Under a newly expanded Medicaid program option, states stand to reap billions of dollars in what amounts to free money. Much of this could go toward better resident care. But some governors can’t...
Who can you trust?
By
John O'Connor
Jul 24, 2022
How bad is the public’s erosion of trust these days? A recent Gallup poll found that barely a quarter of Americans (27%) have a great deal of confidence in 14 leading institutions. That’s a 5%...