Of all the uncertainties in politics, one thing is concrete: When the November elections are over, a lame duck period will have officially begun in Washington.
This cliffhanger shows few signs of a happy ending
By
John O'Connor
Oct 19, 2012
If you are hoping to learn before the Nov. 6 election whether planned federal budget cuts might be avoided, I have some advice: forget about it.
Why are more RAC audits happening? There are trillions of reasons
By
John O'Connor
Sep 10, 2012
Recovery audit contractors are stepping up their efforts to review Medicare billings. This appears to be a classic case of auditors gone wild.
Sequestration cuts will target Medicare
By
John O'Connor
Sep 01, 2012
The good news about sequestration cuts slated to start in January: They will not touch Medicaid. The bad news: Medicare funding will trimmed by 2% — or $11 billion — in the next year alone.
Let’s hope they don’t give war a chance
By
John O'Connor
Jul 30, 2012
Many long-term care insiders are starting to wonder if sequestration might not be so bad after all. That’s because a provision in the sequestration law caps Medicare funding cuts at 2%. All things...
The family secrets that hold back long-term care
By
John O'Connor
May 21, 2012
Several years ago I called some industry experts with a simple request. I asked if there was a place where I could find some basic benchmarks about industry spending. Didn’t think I was looking for...
Omnicare unveils prescribing app for controlled substances
By
John O'Connor
Mar 01, 2012
Omnicare recently announced the launch of a new application for controlled substances. Prescribers — including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants — can electronically transmit...
The big picture: Committee hardly super
By
John O'Connor
Dec 01, 2011
Members of Congress used to have a foolproof way of dealing with controversial problems: They’d appoint a commission to look into them.
Survey: More nursing homes are considering e-prescribing
By
John O'Connor
Sep 01, 2011
Most facility operators responding to a new survey say that their next technology-related purchase will be an e-prescribing system. That’s according to findings relayed in the Aug. 9 McKnight’s...
Court: ‘Elegant theory’ not good enough
By
John O'Connor
Feb 01, 2011
Omnicare Inc. will need more than an elegant theory if it hopes to gain an antitrust ruling against UnitedHealth Group, an appellate court in Chicago recently ruled.