Jordan Rau

Jordan Rau appears in the following:

Understaffed nursing homes are a huge problem, and Biden's promised fix 'sabotaged'

Friday, September 01, 2023

A study commissioned by the government to recommend minimum staffing levels at nursing homes drew no conclusions. And that means Biden's pledge to set those minimums may come to far less than hoped.

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Nursing home owners drained cash while residents deteriorated, state filings suggest

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

As the U.S. government debates whether to require higher staffing levels at nursing homes, financial records show some owners routinely push profits to sister companies while residents are neglected.

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Physician assistants want to be called physician associates, but doctors cry foul

Friday, December 03, 2021

PAs say the new title would clarify that they work in a team and don't require direct oversight by M.D.s. Doctors say it obscures the fact that PAs have less education and training than physicians.

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College Tuition Sparked A Mental Health Crisis. Then The Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived

Friday, February 26, 2021

A student sought counseling help after panicking over a tuition bill. A weeklong stay in a psychiatric hospital followed — along with a $3,413 bill. The hospital soft-pedaled its charity care policy.

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Some Urban Hospitals Face Closure Or Cutbacks As The Pandemic Adds To Fiscal Woes

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Experts fear that the economic pressures of the COVID-19 crisis are helping push some urban hospitals over the edge at the very time they are most needed in low-income communities.

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Nursing Homes Run Short Of COVID-19 Protective Gear As Federal Response Falters

Thursday, June 11, 2020

At least 711 nursing homes reported running out of N95 masks at the end of May, and 1,963 said they had less than a week's worth. "The federal government has got to step up," says one advocate.

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Trump Administration Announces New Scrutiny Of Nursing Homes

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Health inspectors are to be "hyperfocused on infection control right now," officials say, as they suss out what allowed COVID-19 to spread in a Kirkland, Wash., nursing home.

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As Coronavirus Looms, Many Nursing Homes Fall Short On Infection Prevention

Wednesday, March 04, 2020

Keeping nursing home patients safe from an outbreak calls for excellent infection control. But government health inspectors found violations at many nursing homes, especially those with fewer staff.

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Several 'Best' U.S. Hospitals Penalized Over Too-High Rates Of Infection, Injury

Friday, January 31, 2020

Medicare is cutting payments to 786 hospitals with the highest infection and complication rates. The list includes a third of the hospitals proclaimed as the nation's "best" in one prominent ranking.

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Trump Administration Cuts The Size Of Fines For Health Violations In Nursing Homes

Friday, March 15, 2019

Inspectors are citing facilities more often than during the Obama administration. But in response to industry prodding, the average fine is nearly a third lower, and the total assessed is down.

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Bill Of The Month Update: Skier To Get $6,358 Refund After Surgery For Broken Leg

Monday, December 24, 2018

Ski buff Sarah Witter will get $6,358 back from her hospital and insurer after a review of her bill following the NPR-Kaiser Health News story about her case.

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Bill Of The Month: $43,208 For Repeat Surgery To Replace Broken Medical Device

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

If implanted medical devices fail, patients and their insurers usually have to pay for repairs. That financial responsibility falls to them even when the problems were solely with the devices.

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Medicare To Cut Payments To Nursing Homes Whose Patients End Up Back In The Hospital

Saturday, December 01, 2018

Medicare's incentive program to discourage nursing homes from discharging patients too quickly will also give bonuses to facilities that have fewer rehospitalizations.

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Many Who Buy ACA Health Plans For 2019 Find Lower Prices And More Choice

Friday, November 23, 2018

After years of price hikes, the cost of the average Affordable Care Act policy is dropping across the U.S. Competition among insurers has increased as the political uncertainty starts to settle down.

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Medicare Eases Up On Readmissions Penalties For Hospitals Serving The Poor

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Many hospitals that serve a large share of low-income patients will benefit from Medicare's less punishing approach to penalties for patient readmissions.

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Medicare Takes Aim At Boomerang Hospitalizations Of Nursing Home Patients

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

One in 5 Medicare patients who leaves the hospital for a nursing home ends up back in the hospital. The federal government will soon use bonuses and penalties to try to lower readmissions.

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GOP Health Plan Has Its Own Financial Stick To Prod People To Buy Insurance

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The GOP plan would fine insurance buyers who had a lapse in coverage of more than 63 days a year. The penalty? A 30 percent surcharge every month for 12 months.

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Medicare Penalizes Hospitals In Crackdown On Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Thursday, December 22, 2016

For the first time, Medicare penalties against hospitals with too many avoidable patient safety complications include fines tied to the prevalence of two types of bacteria resistant to drugs.

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Rule Change Could Push Hospitals To Tell Patients About Nursing Home Quality

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Hospitals often shy away from offering quality assessments about skilled nursing care because of a Medicare requirement not to restrict choice. Federal officials are weighing changes to that rule.

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Many Well-Known Hospitals Fail To Score High In Medicare Rankings

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Hospitals have been fighting to block the rankings, but Medicare released them Wednesday. Of the 102 hospitals that got a five-star rating, few are among those generally praised for great care.

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