Medicaid

Health Care Reform: The Senate, the President and the Truth

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In an effort to salvage some hope for the flagging Senate health reform bill and to provide sustenance for the neutered Harry Reid, President Obama convened all Democratic senators at the White House earlier this week for a strategy session.  Per Mr. Obama, this activity was not a roll call to establish a majority but … Read more

Health Care Reform: Back to the Senate and All that Jazz

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Watching this reform process, at least for me, is now like watching a Ping Pong match or a Nascar race (sorry Nascar fans); back and forth and round and round.  Even for someone who watches and interprets health policy for a living, this stuff is getting boring, monotonous and frankly, now somewhat nauseating, content wise.  Maybe the … Read more

Medicaid and Health Care Reform

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With so much discussion and news review on Medicare spending and health insurance reforms at the center of the health care reform debate, Medicaid has taken a back-seat in terms of analysis on its programmatic impacts.  Today, Medicaid costs 76% of the cost of Medicare and covers approximately 20% of the population.  In the recently … Read more

Health Care Reform in the House: A Post Mortem

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Late Saturday night by the slimmest of margins, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962 otherwise known as the Affordable Health Care Act for America – three votes the other way and the Bill would not have passed.  The Bill weighs in at over 2,000 pages (2,034) and represents the first major “stab” at reforming … Read more

Skilled Nursing Facilities, Healthcare Reform and Gloomy Propsects

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On October 1, the SNF industry received a 1.1% reduction in Medicare payments.  On October 13th, the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of Healthcare Reform, commonly known as the Baucus Bill.  While the Baucus Bill is the least penalizing to the industry, of the major health reform bills waiting in Congress, it is destined for the Senate shredder … Read more