Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
In the last month and across a series of analyst calls (investment firms) that I field on a regular basis, a question repeats: Why is the demand for hospice declining? Of course the economist in me wants to opine in great detail about “demand” and what factors increase or decrease demand or, shift demand among … Read more
With all the news and among the conjecture, punditry and analysis that fits any twenty-four hour news cycle, I wondered with a few colleagues the other day, how predictable the events current with Obamacare were. Americans being who we are, our collective political memories and policy memories are short. I too, often find even the recent … Read more
Having jumped around just a bit in the last few weeks “topically”, this post may seem a bit disjointed. It is meant as a continuation of a series I’ve compiled on the various implications providers, consumers, etc. can/will experience under the Affordable Care Act (a/k/a Obamacare). Given the news cycle of late and the recent roll-out of … Read more
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
For readers approximating my age, a commercial slogan ties to the title of this post: “Is it real or is it Memorex”. In this current round of Washington political maneuvering and on display dysfunction lies the question; is the ACA issue real or is it a tool for political posturing? Is this a real “red … Read more
This is the second post of a four-part series on the status and implications of the continuing roll-forward/roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). In this post, the context is the implications for providers, given the evolving state of the ACA and some of the current uncertainty of its future. Important to note: Affirmatively, the … Read more
A number of my regular readers and clients routinely ask for my thoughts/analysis on where the Reform Act/Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is at, particularly in-light of the recent one-year delay in the employer mandate. Given the complexity of this subject and the scope of the overall law, a single post won’t cover the subject adequately. In compiling … Read more
PBS is planning on airing a segment tomorrow (Tuesday, July 30) on its program Frontline, highlighting Assisted Living care in the United States (titled “Life and Death in Assisted Living”). Much of the content focuses on Emeritus and other large, for-profit operators. A link to the PBS website follows as summary to the broadcast. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/pressroom/frontline-propublica-investigate-assisted-living-in-america/ … Read more
Among the improvement laggards in the current slow economic recovery was the real estate sector of the economy. Despite record low borrowing rates, home sales seemed stuck in neutral even as positive GDP growth resumed, modest gains in employment occurred, and consumer confidence improved. Starting late summer 2012 and accelerating in to 2013, the real … Read more
As a wrap to my two previous articles regarding recent fraud and False Claims Act suits and issues in the hospice industry, a concluding piece is warranted. As I have written before, the fraud issues and cases in the Hospice industry divide (though not equally) between the providers committing the fraud and an inferior Medicare Hospice Benefit … Read more