Obama attacks sequestration, Medicare payments in State of the Union address
By
John O'Connor
Feb 13, 2013
In a State of the Union address largely focused on jobs and the economy, President Obama challenged a divided Congress to avoid automatic funding cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, raise the minimum wage and...
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...
Good news, for lawyers
By
John O'Connor
Feb 02, 2013
We journalists tend to get all warm and tingly when previously guarded information is finally made public. It must be in our DNA.
Enforcement of privacy rules now delayed until March 31
By
John O'Connor
Feb 01, 2013
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has pushed back enforcement of two electronic healthcare transaction rules by three months, the agency announced in January. That gives providers until March...
Latest funding deal sidesteps fiscal cliff
By
John O'Connor
Feb 01, 2013
Providers generally lauded a deal that kept the nation from going over the so-called fiscal cliff in January. Spared were automatic Medicare cuts to physicians and facilities.
The truth can set you free — or put your long-term care facility out of business
By
John O'Connor
Jan 11, 2013
Journalists generally get all warm and tingly when previously guarded information becomes available. It must be in our DNA. So I should probably be cheering ProPublica’s announcement that the government...
RAC audits often inaccurate, group claims
By
John O'Connor
Dec 02, 2012
A major hospital group has called for a federal investigation into mistakes made by recovery audit contractors.
Few signs of a deal as fiscal cliff nears
By
John O'Connor
Dec 02, 2012
Winning candidates had little time to enjoy November election victories, thanks to a looming $600 billion fiscal cliff.
AHCA sends strong message as fiscal cliff cuts get closer
By
John O'Connor
Dec 02, 2012
As lawmakers try to get “on message” about the looming fiscal cliff, the American Health Care Association sent a message of its own.
Regardless of fiscal cliff outcome, funding cuts loom
By
John O'Connor
Nov 26, 2012
We’re hearing much out of Washington these days about the looming fiscal cliff. Assessments about its impact run the gamut from no big deal to very big deal. As is usually the case, the truth is...