The ACA, Funding Resolutions and the Shut Down

For readers approximating my age, a commercial slogan ties to the title of this post: “Is it real or is it Memorex”.  In this current round of Washington political maneuvering and on display dysfunction lies the question;  is the ACA issue real or is it a tool for political posturing?  Is this a real “red … Read more

Obamacare/ACA: Implications for Providers

This is the second post of a four-part series on the status and implications of the continuing roll-forward/roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).  In this post, the context is the implications for providers, given the evolving state of the ACA and some of the current uncertainty of its future. Important to note: Affirmatively, the … Read more

Obamacare/ACA: Where it is at, why and where next

A number of my regular readers and clients routinely ask for my thoughts/analysis on where the Reform Act/Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is at, particularly in-light of the recent one-year delay in the employer mandate.  Given the complexity of this subject and the scope of the overall law, a single post won’t cover the subject adequately.  In compiling … Read more

United States v. Vitas: The Impact and What Next

On May 5, the U.S. Department of Justice released its most recent complaint (legal suit filed in Federal court) against Chemed, the corporate parent of Vitas.  The complaint is a False Claims Act suit.  Briefly for the uninitiated, a False Claims Act suit alleges that the Medicare provider knowingly (or unknowingly but once discovered, did … Read more

2013 Medicare, Fiscal Cliff, Policy Outlook and More

Happy New Year!  Now that I’m back in the saddle, so to speak, and semi-organized after a holiday break and vacation the time has come to take a look at where health care is  and what is setting the stage for 2013 (at least near term). Getting started, Washington remains unbelievably mired in dysfunction.  So much … Read more

Healthcare Polar Express

With the Holidays fast approaching and me, heading into a break and a brief vacation, the time is right to recap the current health policy landscape.  As the title states, now it seems as if the industry is riding on the Healthcare Polar Express; head first into the dark, cold, snowy north. Fiscal Cliff: Wow, what … Read more

Healthcare and the Fiscal Cliff

The Fiscal Cliff stories are everywhere and as a result, lots of misinformation, conjecture, and supposition of deals, no deals and what happens next abound within the media.  The economist in me can’t help but opine on the economics at stake but for this purpose, I’ll take only a slice of the overall issues; a … Read more

Health Policy News: Too Good to be Quieted by Election Coverage

With all of the election news blaring (thank goodness the end is soon here), some important health policy issues have been somewhat lost in the milieu.  Below is a quick summary of what has caught my attention as of late (a heads-up for readers). Medicare/SNF Class Action Settlement: This is profound on a number of … Read more

Fables, Tales and Job Reports

Before too much rancor sets in among readers, I’ll admit that my content has strayed just a bit lately from health policy, etc. to politics and economics.  This too shall pass and rather quickly.  This post is for a friend and reader who e-mailed me earlier about the ADP job report and what it means … Read more

One Week

One week from today is the national election for president, every seat in the House of Representatives, and one-third of the Senate.  Additionally, there are numerous gubernatorial elections and local or state-wide races at issue.  No other nation on the face of the earth affords, nay protects, the rights of all of its citizens to … Read more