Senate Reform Bill Budget Neutral?

This afternoon, the Congressional Budget Office released a statement saying that the Senate Finance Committee Reform Bill (the Baucus Bill) prices out at $829 billion over ten years.  At this price-tag, given the revenue assumptions (fees, cuts, taxes, etc.) contained in the Bill, the CBO estimates that the Bill actually produces a modest deficit reduction … Read more

Healthcare Economic Outlook

As my work is focused on healthcare and more succinctly, post-acute healthcare and senior housing, I follow overall economic trends and conditions and translate the same for the healthcare economy.  As healthcare remains a private industry today, albeit one that is heavily tied to the Federal government, the general economy does impact the healthcare industry. Arguably, as with the … Read more

Senate Health Reform Bill Loses Public Option

The Senate Finance Committee voted yesterday to eliminate the public option from its reform bill (aka the Baucus Bill) by a margin of 15 to 8. All Republicans and a hand-full of Democrats voted against inclusion. Of note, the Bill’s author, Senator Baucus voted for the removal of the public option stating that in his … Read more

GAO on CRRCs and Boards of Directors

Earlier this year, Senator Kohl, Chair of the Senate Aging Committee, requested that the GAO study the finances, operations and governance of CCRCs. According to Kohl, seniors invest significant portions of their life savings when entering a CCRC and in many cases, little is known about CCRC operators and less is regulated in regard to … Read more

Reform: The Senate Version

After weeks/months of meetings, Senator Baucus of Montana representing the “gang of six” (three Democrats and three Republicans) released the Senate Finance Committee version of “healthcare reform”.  What started as a bi-partisan sub-committee alternative to the House version (HR 3200) ended as essentially, a Baucus bill; legislation lacking any real support from Senate Democrats and … Read more

Holding onto Your D.O.N.

In our annual Healthcare Leadership Labor Market Report released in July, we presented some rather alarming trends regarding the long-term care and post-acute care industry’s retention of nursing executives.  For example, we noted that 71% of the Directors of Nursing in nursing homes leave their positions each year.  We also noted that the average tenure … Read more

Deficits and Health Care: Economics Redux

I know this is supposed to be a blog about healthcare issues, primarily that which falls in the post-acute, long-term care and senior housing world but some stuff in the news right now is just too hard to ignore.  After all, healthcare reform does affect long-term care and post-acute care directly and economics, especially the … Read more

Translating “Washington” Speak

Not unexpectedly, the politicians are all a “buzz” about healthcare reform right now.  The President even did a live radio/television talk-show to “clarify” what healthcare reform is really about; to translate as it were.  From CNN to Fox to certainly every Sunday talk show, politicians or members of the President’s cabinet are trying desperately to … Read more