Unprecedented Spike in Cancer Deaths: New Study Reveals Alarming Trend – Friday Feature

TGIF! I’m going to take the bulk of my day today away from work. I’m hoping to spend the afternoon with my wife, running errands and then catching dinner somewhere. Before I step away, an interesting article on increased cancer deaths between 2021 and 2022 caught my attention. In doing a bit of research, an … Read more

15 Days to Slow the Spread: Remembered

On March 16, 2020, the Trump Administration released guidelines in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the corresponding public health emergency. Four years later, much was learned, much was missed, much could have played-out different, and much remains to be reconciled. Today, four years later, we live with economic and societal ramifications from the public … Read more

Medicaid: HCBS and Eligibility Updates

I follow Medicaid but don’t often get many inquiries around Medicaid policy or requests for articles in this subject area. Medicaid, however, is very important for providers, especially post-acute and senior living, as it is typically, a significant if not majority payer. During COVID and the public health emergency, Medicaid policy and CMS enacted requirements … Read more

OIG Issues Report on SNF Emergency Preparedness

Since the COVID pandemic, regulatory officials have escalated the review, via various audits, of SNF emergency preparedness. COVID highlighted the sporadic and often, non-existent preparations for disasters (natural and other) and disease outbreaks (pandemic or other) that existed with the SNF industry. In reality, the issues have been present for years but only regionally, highlighted … Read more

Wednesday Feature: Another, Different Pandemic

Happy Hump Day! The purpose of these Wednesday detours from the usual health policy, economics, senior living/senior housing/post-acute care stuff is to help readers and followers either add a touch of levity to their day or (to) cause them to think a bit differently about the world. Consider Wednesday Features as a deviation from the … Read more

Sr. Living, Litigation and COVID Implications

On Friday, I wrote about the explosion of COVID litigation in health care and senior living, especially that which is challenging federal immunity under the PREP Act and cases challenging insurance coverage for business interruption coverage resultant from COVID remediation policies (business closure, school closures, vaccine requirements, etc.). Today’s post is a bit more focused … Read more

COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness: Redux

As COVID-19 has moved to an endemic phase (constant presence, not spreading out of control or taxing health care resources), I’ve started to look back at what transpired since early-2020 and what was learned, known, and now, embedded (perhaps) in our culture and our health care industry. Suffice to say, the review is somewhat mind … Read more

Senior Housing Occupancy Update

During the pandemic, senior housing (all forms) saw a drop, some precipitous like SNFs, in occupancy. As the pandemic has now waned, the recovery continues. This is good news for the sector, but occupancy is not the only factor impacting recovery. According to the National Investment Center (NIC), occupancy in the sector varies between market … Read more

Senior Living Occupancy Trends – A Bit More Data

  I’ve been closely watching the post-pandemic recovery of the senior care and living industries. In the past sixty days or so, I’ve written a number of articles/posts on occupancy recovery, factors impacting recovery, and factors that may further stress recovery trends.  Within these posts/articles, reference material exists from sources like Fitch, National Investment Center … Read more