Catching Up Part I: Politics, Observation Stays, and Medicaid

Off the golf course (reluctantly) and back to work.  Last week was full of catching up and revisiting issues and reports.  As promised before I went temporarily AWOL, here’s Part I of at least two parts (maybe three) of issues that I am following. Politics and the First Tuesday in November: The conventions are done and … Read more

What’s Trending: Back on Track….For Now

Finally, my plans and I collide again on a Friday afternoon and I’m somewhat back on schedule … for now.  With forecasted travel next week plus a touch of R&R time, it looks like I’ll be back off-track before long.  We’ll see.  Not a lot different on my dashboard as this week concludes.  I’m pretty much awash … Read more

What’s Trending: Catching Up

Probably the biggest trend as of late is my tardiness in getting these posts out on-time…sorry.  My end of the week (last week) got distorted as I needed to attend a meeting with regard to a Medicaid shift in Kansas from fee-for-service to “managed”.   As I have been through these conversions or switches before, it’s … Read more

What’s Trending: Last Friday in July

Opening celebration at the Olympics is catching most of the buzz today and the Dog Days of Summer are definitely full-on.  Still too much heat and not enough rain for my pleasure but August is around the corner and hopefully, some cooler weather.  If nothing else, I can rely on the Olympics to alter my … Read more

CBO Releases Updated ACA Score

Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office released their updated score of the ACA post the Supreme Court ruling.  Substantively, the only reason or need for an update is the Court’s tweak concerning Medicaid expansion; allowing states to opt-out of expansion.  See my post from earlier this week for a bit more information on the Court’s ruling and … Read more

Supreme Court Upholds the PPACA

In a surprising ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the PPACA, in its entirety.  Earlier in the week I wrote that my view, substantiated via conversations with many insiders ranging from lawyers to professors to think-tank analysts, was that the Court would find the core of the law unconstitutional.  My guess is that many … Read more

CCRC Marketing Reality Check-Up

Periodically, the source for a post on this site is the accumulation of thematically condensed questions that I receive regularly and with frequency; what I now call the “buzz”.  While the “buzz” for me is fairly constant across the post-acute/seniors housing industry, the pitch does vary, sometimes daily but most often, weekly.  I guess it just … Read more

Know Your Market, Know Your Value Proposition

Last October I wrote a post regarding the development of an Economic Value Analysis and how the same is important for marketing seniors housing and skilled nursing.  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post regarding feasibility tests key to project success and targeted feasibility.  Later this year, in October at Leading Age’s annual conference … Read more

Medicare SNF Rate Outlook

Literally fresh off of a significant rate adjustment/reduction in October (2011), Medpac (the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission) releases a recommendation for complete SNF payment overhaul.  In their assessment of the SNF payment system under Medicare, Medpac concludes the following; Medicare payments to SNFs represent 23% of all revenues.  Medicare (payer) as a share of SNF patient … Read more

Medicare Fraud and Why; Part II

Last week I published a post regarding Medicare fraud that is occurring in the post-acute industry.  The post is available at http://wp.me/ptUlY-ak .  At the end, I indicated that I would provide a follow-up post; a closer piece more succinct on why the fraud trend is heating up and what the drivers for this trend are.  In … Read more