SNF Outlook: 2013

As luck would have it, work interfered with my plans to have all of the industry outlooks for this year complete and published by February 1.  Good news: Ground work is done now I just need to get to the writing and editing on a consistent basis.  With any luck and a bit of fortitude, … Read more

Medicare Outpatient Therapy Rates: Part B

I have a schedule or table if you prefer, of 2013 Part B Therapy Rates applicable to common SNF codes.  It is applicable as user selects, for the entire U.S.  As rates are only available on a “guesstimated” basis right now and somewhat subject to slight modifications, the version is not 100% guaranteed.  I do … Read more

2013 Medicare, Fiscal Cliff, Policy Outlook and More

Happy New Year!  Now that I’m back in the saddle, so to speak, and semi-organized after a holiday break and vacation the time has come to take a look at where health care is  and what is setting the stage for 2013 (at least near term). Getting started, Washington remains unbelievably mired in dysfunction.  So much … Read more

Healthcare Polar Express

With the Holidays fast approaching and me, heading into a break and a brief vacation, the time is right to recap the current health policy landscape.  As the title states, now it seems as if the industry is riding on the Healthcare Polar Express; head first into the dark, cold, snowy north. Fiscal Cliff: Wow, what … Read more

Healthcare and the Fiscal Cliff

The Fiscal Cliff stories are everywhere and as a result, lots of misinformation, conjecture, and supposition of deals, no deals and what happens next abound within the media.  The economist in me can’t help but opine on the economics at stake but for this purpose, I’ll take only a slice of the overall issues; a … Read more

False Claims Act: Providers Beware

Lately I have fielded a growing number of questions regarding various applications/uses of the False Claims Act and Medicare billing inquiries.  What is disconcerting about these inquiries is their source; too many from providers or provider organizations.  One in particular arises out of an acquisition and this bears special note and comment which, I have … Read more

Policy News: A Black Friday Edition

Full of turkey and the trimmings and avoiding any retail outlets, Black Friday seems perfect for a quick synopsis of what is happening with health policy.  Fortunately, I’ve maintained a good inventory of “stuff” (not stuffing, though I have an inventory of that too) to cull for content. OIG on SNF Payments: This falls into my … Read more

Five Things Every Healthcare Executive Should Focus On: Updated, Revised

More than two years ago I wrote a post regarding “five” things every SNF administrator should focus on and lo and behold, a reader asked late last week if I would revisit this subject.  She (the reader) is not an SNF administrator so she asked if I could focus more globally; sort of a “best practices” … Read more

Health Policy News: Too Good to be Quieted by Election Coverage

With all of the election news blaring (thank goodness the end is soon here), some important health policy issues have been somewhat lost in the milieu.  Below is a quick summary of what has caught my attention as of late (a heads-up for readers). Medicare/SNF Class Action Settlement: This is profound on a number of … Read more

Fables, Tales and Job Reports

Before too much rancor sets in among readers, I’ll admit that my content has strayed just a bit lately from health policy, etc. to politics and economics.  This too shall pass and rather quickly.  This post is for a friend and reader who e-mailed me earlier about the ADP job report and what it means … Read more