Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - Updated Daily
The practical question is not whether value-based care affects operators. It already does. The more consequential question is whether an organization recognizes the change early enough to redesign how it manages referrals, clinical performance, workforce…
The report that CMS is withholding $1B in Medicaid payments from California and Minnesota is not merely another Washington-versus-state-capital political skirmish. It is a reminder that Medicaid is financed through a conditional partnership, and federal…
CMS is launching a streamlined review process for higher-performing nursing homes and making them easier for consumers to find on Medicare.gov. A new Quality, Safety, & Oversight memo outlines the risk-based survey process, which helps…
Rural providers are being asked to preserve access with urban-level expectations and far thinner margins. That is the core tension any rural health transformation program must confront. For hospitals, post-acute operators, clinics, and community-based organizations…
A life plan community can look stable from the outside – full campus, strong reputation, long wait list history, predictable monthly fees. Then interest rates move, labor costs stay elevated, refund obligations come due, and…
For years, and littered throughout this site, are pieces (and presentations) I have done on compliance. Some goodies are below. https://rhislop3.com/2023/09/07/five-quality-and-compliance-tips/ https://rhislop3.com/2018/11/16/the-real-impacts-of-poor-quality-inadequate-compliance-and-weak-risk-management/ https://rhislop3.com/2018/11/29/follow-up-real-impacts-of-poor-quality-and-lax-compliance/ https://rhislop3.com/2019/06/14/the-connection-between-quality-and-revenue/ The one major implication of solid (or not) compliance is the…
Earlier this year, in January, I wrote a piece on the start of site-neutral payments via a CMS final rule tied to the Outpatient PPS (OPPS). This post is a follow-up of sorts to the…
Budget math is about to collide with operating reality. When executives ask about the top healthcare policy risks 2026, they are not asking for a Washington headline recap. They are asking which policy moves could…
The most consequential healthcare economics trends 2026 will not be driven by a single law, rate update, or election headline. They will come from the collision of four forces that now define the sector –…
CMS did not put out the View Rule as a routine paperwork exercise. For operators already carrying margin pressure, survey exposure, labor inflation, and reimbursement uncertainty, this request for information is a signal. It suggests CMS is…
Healthcare executive, consultant, and author covering post-acute care, senior living, and the economics behind both - for 30+ years.
No noise - just what changed in healthcare policy and economics, and why it matters to your operation.