Healthcare, Senior Living, Economics
When I got married to my wife and business partner (the partner came after), part of our honeymoon was spent in Las Vegas. While there, we caught Penn and Teller’s Vegas show and it was AWESOME! I love magic and in particular, the kind that is up close and personal. The trade term now seems … Read more
A couple of weeks ago, on February 22nd. the Department of Justice issued its annual statement regarding False Claims Act activity in FY 2023 (federal fiscal years run 10/1 to 9/30). “Settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act exceeded $2.68 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023. The government and whistleblowers were … Read more
In 2023, regulators re-instituted audits of facilities for inappropriate diagnoses of schizophrenia (justification for anti-psychotic use), plus a five-claim audit of every nursing home. The purpose of the audit was to address a long-standing concern that inappropriate coding was driving higher Medicare reimbursement under PDPM, despite documentation in patient records, not substantiating the level of care … Read more
TGIF! A report I get and enjoy comes from Altarum (a non-profit consulting organization) looking at various economic data elements with regard to healthcare spending across a number of metrics (percent of GDP, time series growth, etc.). Granted, the report is a bit “wonky” but given what I do for a living, “wonky” is kind … Read more
Happy Hump Day! Yesterday I wrote about the OIG’s (Department of Health and Human Services) report and focus on CMS’ oversight of state survey agencies. The impetus behind this focus no doubt comes from the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s investigation into nursing home survey activities at the state level. The report is available … Read more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG), issued a report regarding the performance of contracted state agencies with respect to nursing home (SNF) compliance surveys. CMS contracts with state agencies, typically state departments of health or divisions thereto, to perform compliance/regulatory activities (surveys) in nursing homes. The report … Read more
Over the years I have written many articles about the cost of healthcare and in particular, the cost of senior living and senior healthcare. As the population ages, the demand for senior living and care expands. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population age 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the … Read more
TGIF! Greetings from the great white northland! ‘Tis January and Iowa Caucus time and of course, winter settles in. In the rapidly evolving landscape of Assisted Living, it is crucial for states to adapt and refine their regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of residents. Between July 2022 and July 2023, a total of … Read more
Two articles in my email caught my attention to start the week. Both have to do with SNF closure risks, one regarding rural facilities and the other regarding staffing challenges. Interesting enough, both cross the same issues for closure, approached however, somewhat differently. I’ve written about this subject for years now yet, attention has only become acute … Read more
Happy First Hump Day of 2024! Short weeks aren’t really deserving of a Hump Day, but it is officially a Wednesday that is not a holiday in a workweek (though I’m sure many are still off from the Christmas/New Year’s season). Thus, no matter deserved or not, it is my first Wednesday Feature and therefore, … Read more