The ACA Subsidies: Where we Are, What’s Next

On December 11,2025, the Senate rejected competing bills addressing Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, resulting in the expiration of tax credits and the prospect of higher health insurance premiums for many Americans in 2026. Both a Democratic bill intended to extend these subsidies and a Republican proposal involving Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) failed to pass, … Read more

Medicare Hospice TPE Basics and Update

Within the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to discuss and review, the ongoing Medicare TPE program with a number of hospices and hospice folks. Suffice to say, there are more than a few questions and resultant (still) confusion over the audit process and claims denial in general. I hope this post provides some … Read more

Shutdown is Over: The Pieces

The longest government shutdown in United States history concluded on November 12. Yesterday, I wrote a post summarizing the process until resolution – https://rhislop3.com/congress-medicaid-subsidies-whats-next/ Despite the cessation of the shutdown, pivotal issues—most notably the future of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which remain a point of contention for Democratic policymakers—are … Read more

CPI and Healthcare Inflation

This past week the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released May’s CPI (inflation) report.  Overall, the trend is improving with inflation now, month over month, increasing .1% vs. .2% in April.  On a 12 month basis, inflation has risen 2.4% (not seasonally adjusted). See below. Of the items that continue to run “hotter” than overall … Read more

Tough Housing Market = Life Plan Challenges

Over the years, I have written and spoken on the direct connection that Life Plan/CCRC organizations have with the residential real estate market. This is particularly true for entry fee Life Plan communities (CCRCs). https://rhislop3.com/real-estate-sales-report-news-worsens-for-ccrcs-life-plan-communities/ Today and across the recent six to nine months, the residential real estate market has been as illiquid (reduced sales) … Read more

Republican House Medicaid Reform Package

Overview On May 11, House Republicans introduced a 160-page (Subtitle D Health Ae3638d840 | PDF | Medicaid | Federal Government Of The United States)  bill aiming to implement nationwide Medicaid work requirements and stricter eligibility standards. The legislation, part of a broader budget reconciliation package, seeks to cut federal spending by hundreds of billions of … Read more

Medicaid Spending Reductions, Part III

Policy Options and Alternatives to Reduce Medicaid Costs This is part three of a series I wrote on Medicaid spending reductions (proposed). Recent Republican budgets have targeted Medicaid for $800 plus billion in spending reductions. This final post in the series covers the likely choices available from a policy perspective, to achieve the savings target. … Read more

Medicaid Spending Reductions, Part II

Potential Impacts of Medicaid Cuts on Beneficiaries and Providers This is Part II of a series I researched and produced on Medicaid cuts. The third, which I will edit and post later in the week, will wrap it up. With healthcare spending a major economic issue, I hope these few posts provided context for readers … Read more

Medicare Hospice and Home Health Fraud, Part 3

This is part three of the series of posts on hospice and home health fraud.  Parts one and two can be accessed below. https://rhislop3.com/medicare-hospice-and-home-health-fraud-part-1/ https://rhislop3.com/medicare-hospice-and-home-health-fraud-part-2/ Recent Cases and Settlements in Medicare Fraud High-Profile Hospice Fraud Convictions Several recent cases highlight the persistence of fraudulent practices in hospice care billing under Medicare. One notable example involves … Read more

Medicare Hospice and Home Health Fraud, Part 2

Late last week, I posted the first part of a three-post, comprehensive review of Medicare hospice and home health fraud. Medicare home health and hospice billing fraud has emerged as a significant issue within the U.S. healthcare system, costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually and jeopardizing the integrity of federal health programs. This is part … Read more