Congress

SNF Staffing, Mandates, and More

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Seema Verma, former CMS head, spoke out yesterday regarding the proposed staffing mandate (hours and type of staff, per resident per day) proposed rule, indicating her opinion that the approach was flawed. A recap article on her comments is here: https://www.mcknights.com/news/former-cms-chief-verma-regulators-over-their-skis-with-staffing-mandate/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NWLTR_MLT_DAILYUPDATE_110223&hmEmail=IjP1GPaY%2BJ2uvsLxTJ79bVeRWY7ycbnr&sha256email=aa4cb7c695037c31a216b9562788596b6fcd012145d566f31440b6fcd139c8a9 Regular readers know that I have covered various topics on healthcare staffing, particularly as … Read more

Mish-Mash Monday

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A new week and lots of data/info. coming on a variety of fronts. Today’s post is less about one thing and more about a few things, a bit of smorgasbord to start the week. State by State SNF Data/CLA: Back at the start of the month, I wrote a post on the state of the SNF … Read more

Wednesday Feature: Insanity

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Happy Hump Day! Every once in a while, I feel the need to rant, if just a bit. Personally, it’s like an exorcism of pent-up frustration. Since this blog is mine and I am the author, editor, chief cook, and bottlewasher, I get a certain license to write stuff that I feel is important. I … Read more

Hospice 2024 Final Rule and Home Health Update: Preserving Access Legislation

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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

Senators Seek Survey Accountability for SNFs

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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

Webinar – Post-Election Healthcare Policy: What to Expect

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Join me as I host a one-hour webinar and conference call regarding post-election healthcare policy.  The program/call is set for Wednesday, December 14 at 1:00 PM EST/noon CST. With uncertainty looming, providers are wondering what will change as the Inauguration approaches and a new Congress settles in. We will review the ACA, Medicaid and Medicare, and related … Read more

The Election is Over….Now What?

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We knew that sooner or later, the first Tuesday in November would arrive and with that, a new President and changes (many or few) to Congress. The outcome certain, we move to uncertainty again concerning “what next”?…or as applicable here, what next from a health policy perspective. With Donald Trump the incoming President-Elect, only so … Read more

Doc Patch in the Works

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Yesterday, the Speaker of the House (John Boehner) announced that a compromise is forthcoming to alleviate, for one year, the pending 24% payment reduction to the Physician Fee Schedule arising out of the current SGR formula. Ten days or so ago I wrote a post regarding a House bill that repealed the SGR but contained … Read more

House Passes Doc-Fix Bill Destined for Nowhere

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Earlier today, the House passed a bill that repeals the SGR formula used to derive physician reimbursement under Medicare.  For more specifics on the SGR, see a previous post I wrote at http://wp.me/ptUlY-ae .  The legislation is title SGR Repeal and Medicare Payment Modernization Act. Unfortunately, the fate of the legislation is predestined as the bill … Read more

Debt Ceilings, Government Shutdowns and Health Policy

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Most of my readers know by now that I am an economist by training and formal education.  My clients know this as well.  The net result is that I’ve been queried, almost to death as of late, as to what this current round of Washington folly is really all about.  Is it about the ACA?  … Read more