Taxes on nursing homes in Alabama have doubled since 2008. You’d probably think the Alabama Nursing Home Association, which is the political voice for nursing home operators, would have spent the last five years protesting the increases, no? No! The ANHA has consistently supported state tax hikes on its members. What gives? It’s the same ol’ Medicaid … Continue reading
Companies and cities/states regularly jockey for federal Medicaid money. They will often twist themselves into pretzels to grab as much “free” money as possible. The Medicaid formula, where the federal government matches or exceeds the monetary amount allocated by the state, encourages musical chairs. That is, state and city governments work hard to acquire Medicaid … Continue reading
Last week the New York State Legislature passed a bill that would allow assisted living homes to keep residents who previously qualified for nursing homes. Buffalo’s Business Journal thinks this is good news. Is it really? The bill says residents can age in place in their current communities. It would allow assisted living homes to … Continue reading
The Canadian province of Alberta has spent an average of $87,000 per unit on assisted living construction since 2007-08. This is much more than any American state or city spends on new units. Alberta’s two biggest cities, Calgary and Edmonton each account for 1/3 of Alberta’s 3.6 million residents. The cities must compete for funding … Continue reading
Publicly owned nursing have a big problem. But first the good news…they do better on average than their privately owned counterparts. A recent study showed that publicly owned and non-profit nursing homes had less citations and serious deficiencies than the ten largest for-profit nursing home companies. However, at what cost? Literally? This story from the … Continue reading
Managing a nursing home is tough. Managing a nursing home while turning a profit is even tougher. So, when a nursing home does close, it’s hardly a surprise. Nursing homes must adhere to strict state laws that dictate staffing levels. Most nursing homes accept Medicaid which has been reducing payments to nursing homes since 2011. … Continue reading
Although the pension programs available to senior citizens are prominently mentioned on most assisted living company websites as a means of payment, few eligible veterans are using them. This NY Times article quotes a Veterans Affairs spokesman who says less than 5% of the 1.7 million eligible seniors and their dependents are using the benefits. … Continue reading
Assisted Living varies in definition and scope between states. Skilled nursing homes have long complained about the strict laws and regulations with which they’re governed by and have pointed to assisted living centers as being unfairly free of the same burdens. Less compliance and regulation certainly keeps costs down but the two types of housing … Continue reading
Vintage Park, which operates 18 assisted living communities in Kansas, will no longer accept new Medicaid patients at 15 of them, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) reports. The three Vintage Park communities that will continue to accept patients on Medicaid are the sole providers of assisted living services in their towns. Medicaid payments for claims … Continue reading
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports the opening of a new assisted living center and five more scheduled to open by the middle of 2014. The already open community, Point of the Pines Gardens, accepts Medicaid while the others still being built do not. The new communities are targeting middle class residents who will be paying privately. The … Continue reading
