Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
Back a few weeks ago I did a post summarizing the 2024 Final PPS Rule for Skilled Nursing Facilities. Recall, these rules come out yearly, updating payment rates and other provisions impacting payment and some, impacting policy. Typically, the initial or proposed rule starts in spring and then after comments, etc., becomes final during the … Read more
Last week, the 2024 Presidential campaign season kicked into full swing with the first candidate debate. Arguably, momentum has been building ahead of the debate, especially in Iowa, during the State Fair, where candidates roamed, gave speeches, and pressed the flesh. I was there one day and enjoyed seeing Tim Scott and few other notables, … Read more
As foretold in the SNF PPS Final Rule, CMS was going to fine tune the MDS/RAI manual prior to October 1 when the new 2024 Fiscal Year starts. Generally, data such as this update comes much closer, sometimes even after the October 1 implementation date. Providers get a break for a change. Initial proposed changes … Read more
Back in early June, I wrote a post on how Medicare/CMS was intending to audit 5 claims from every participating SNF in the country. The audits would be staggered and conducted by MACs (Medicare Audit Contractors). That post is available here: https://wp.me/ptUlY-AR As we are now three months into the audit process, details are emerging … Read more
Usually I try to add some “light and levity” to my Wednesday features as the content on this site is pretty heavy health policy and economics, regulatory in nature, etc. In my work, my usual Wednesday messages internally are “fun” – a bit of Hump Day humor or whimsy. By title of this post, readers … Read more
I like tapas from time to time, especially for a happy hour gathering. Thursday seems to always be a good day to have little bites of something prior to a big weekend; even better if Friday is a short day or a day off into the weekend. In a post earlier this week I mentioned … Read more
The COVID pandemic illustrated a whole bunch of flaws, holes, and gaps within the U.S. health care system. To be fair, the pandemic illustrated flaws, holes, and gaps within U.S. society, government, the economy, etc. A trend that has been slowly moving forward seems to be accelerating through and post the pandemic and that trend … Read more
For early August, this is a semi-busy week with health policy stuff and upcoming econ data on inflation. Congress is on recess but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a fair amount of activity in-play that will impact the health care industry, some positive, some negative. Likewise, this is the start of the presidential election … Read more
SNFs got a little early Christmas present yesterday when CMS announced its Final Rule (PPS) for Fiscal Year 2024 (begins October 1, 2023). Instead of a 3.7% increase as proposed in the initial rule, CMS finalized a 4% increase (plus an additional 0.3%). Back in April, I wrote about the proposed rule. That post is … Read more
Last Thursday, Senators Bob Casey (Pennsylvania), Ron Wyden (Oregon), and Chucky Grassley (Iowa) sent a letter to CMS asking that the agency “take immediate steps to strengthen the nursing home oversight system”. Their letter is a follow-up to a report from the Senate Committee on Aging, chaired by Casey, detailing a myriad of problems with … Read more