Unprecedented Spike in Cancer Deaths: New Study Reveals Alarming Trend – Friday Feature

TGIF! I’m going to take the bulk of my day today away from work. I’m hoping to spend the afternoon with my wife, running errands and then catching dinner somewhere. Before I step away, an interesting article on increased cancer deaths between 2021 and 2022 caught my attention. In doing a bit of research, an … Read more

15 Days to Slow the Spread: Remembered

On March 16, 2020, the Trump Administration released guidelines in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the corresponding public health emergency. Four years later, much was learned, much was missed, much could have played-out different, and much remains to be reconciled. Today, four years later, we live with economic and societal ramifications from the public … Read more

Friday Feature: Litigation, Arbitration, and COVID

TGIF! I live and have an office in Illinois, though my part of the state differs dramatically from the Illinois most people recognize. I live and work in a small town (Galena) in an area known as the driftless region. The driftless region is “original” terra-firma, where the glaciers did not touch. This area is in the far northwest … Read more

COVID Assisted Living Claim in Virginia – Potentially Precedential

My work has me very attuned to litigation trends and in particular, COVID litigation. We are just beginning to see COVID litigation coming to a head with some interesting decisions. Within my firm (H2 Healthcare, LLC), is a practice focus headed by my wife. It involves clinical compliance and complex litigation support. She is considered one of, if … Read more

Genesis and COVID Litigation – Interesting Update

Genesis is one of the country’s largest SNF and assisted living providers so naturally, it saw its share of COVID cases throughout the pandemic. Like other similar providers across the same industry, cases involving COVID infections are just now hitting the courts.  Back in October, I wrote about the advancement of litigation involving COVID.  There … Read more

Friday Feature: Hopeful

TGIF! It is the Advent season for Christians and the end (another day) of Hanukkah for Jews. Both seasons to me, bring joy and hope. I have good Jewish friends, so I get a bit of a celebratory joy from them, especially since they reciprocally enjoy Christmas celebrations. As readers know, I follow health care and health … Read more

Wednesday Feature: SNF Ownership Transparency

Happy Hump Day!  Only 12 more shopping days until Christmas! In mid-November, CMS issued a final rule titled: “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Disclosures of Ownership and Additional Disclosable Parties Information for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Facilities; Medicare Providers’ and Suppliers’ Disclosure of Private Equity Companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts“. The final rule is … Read more

OIG Issues Report on SNF Emergency Preparedness

Since the COVID pandemic, regulatory officials have escalated the review, via various audits, of SNF emergency preparedness. COVID highlighted the sporadic and often, non-existent preparations for disasters (natural and other) and disease outbreaks (pandemic or other) that existed with the SNF industry. In reality, the issues have been present for years but only regionally, highlighted … Read more

Mish-Mash Monday

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

Friday Feature: Important COVID Criminal Case Dismissed

Ten days ago, I wrote a post about COVID litigation and how it was not only mounting but also morphing in terms of scope. Cases were predominantly focused on responsibility for infections at the senior living end such as, my ‘family member’ caught COVID at XYZ Manor and died, so therefore XYZ Manor is responsible … Read more