Robert Gatty
Robert Gatty has more than 40 years of experience in journalism, politics and business communications and is the founder and president of G-Net Strategic Communications based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He can be reached at bob@gattyedits.com.
CMS applauds readmission reduction
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has seen a substantial decline in hospitalization admissions among Medicare beneficiaries in long-term care. Read More » GOP, Trump regime met with optimism
AHCA/NCAL anticipates—and looks forward to—expected regulatory relief and repeal under the new Republican-led White House and Congress. Read More » Medicare crunch time with Trump administration, Part II
Contributor Robert Gatty ponders whether sweeping reforms are ahead as President-elect Donald Trump fills out his Cabinet and Republicans retain majority in Congress. Read More » AHCA ‘excited’ about Trump’s HHS, CMS appointments
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is looking forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees and possible changes to the long-term/post-acute care industry, a vice president said in a call with reporters. Read More » Medicare crunch time with Trump administration?
The next administration will have to cut back on Medicare spending and fraud. Contributor Robert Gatty speculates whether lawmakers will crack down on avoidable hospital admissions. Read More » Feds propose improvements to PACE
The proposed plan is intended to streamline and improve the federal Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to help seniors avoid nursing home care. Read More » NOTICE Act takes effect
Advocacy groups are urging Congress to pass additional legislation on the NOTICE Act to allow observation time to count toward the required three-day inpatient stay for Medicare. Federal officials are also considering arbitration agreement provisions. Read More » Government plows broadband clearing for rural SNFs
Industry leaders’ persistent efforts resulted in passage of the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act, which will allow skilled nursing facilities to seek federal funding to finance high-speed Internet service for providers in rural areas. Read More » MedPAC launches plan for new payment system
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) submits it recommendations to Congress for how to establish a unified, cross-setting post-acute care payment system. The plan would redistribute payments among types of stays, making profits more uniform and hopefully reducing unnecessary services and admission preferences. Read More » “We are the solution,” industry execs tell Congress
A two-day AHCA/NCAL congressional briefing brings 450 long-term interests to Capitol Hill. Read More » Crusading to protect the elderly
Are the new Justice Department Elder Justice Task Forces a smokescreen to cut costs? Long-Term Living's politics and policy reporter, Robert Gatty, examines the forces at play in the new initiatives. Read More » Proposed legislation aimed at comorbidity among Medicare beneficiaries
A U.S. Senate Working Group has outlined priorities for improving Medicare delivery to beneficiaries with multiple, complex chronic illnesses while reducing healthcare expenditures. Read More » A closer look at CMS’ efforts to reduce avoidable hospitalizations
Does Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recognize industry improvements? Washington policy expert Robert Gatty looks at whether the government's efforts have been effective. Read More » 3-day waiver rule on the way out?
The 3-day hospital stay rule might be waving goodbye, but the American Health Care Association warns the new CMS proposal would put some nursing homes—and their residents—at a disadvantage. Read More » Congress to consider VA provider agreement legislation
Will veterans soon be able to obtain care from non-VA LTC facilities? Long-Term Living's Washington reporter Bob Gatty takes a look at the proposed care model. Read More » CMS gets to work on new value-based fee structure
Now that the SGR is history, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is tackling the new value-based payment model. Leading long-term care organizations are playing important roles in advising the new policies. Read More » Fight brewing over proposed CMS arbitration rule
The long-term care industry argues that the CMS arbitration rule goes too far; state attorneys general seek an outright ban. Read More » AHCA/NCAL: New CMS nursing home regulations ‘simply too much’
The new proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are not sitting well with the head of the American Health Care Association, who says they will takes years and extraordinary cost to implement. Read More » An Obamacare repeal?
Expect another try by the GOP to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This latest attempt at repeal is tied to the federal budget. Read More » CMS proposes massive new rules for LTC industry
The 400-page proposal includes new rules to reduce hospitalizations, infections and resident risks. But, opponents question the financial impacts: Feds estimate the cost would be nearly $90,000 per facility over two years. Read More » LTC professionals take their message to Congress
UPDATED June 23, 2015: Congressional actions got a few steps closer to repealing two key Obamacare provisions--the medical device tax and the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Read More » Legislation to speed new drug development under way on Capitol Hill
The “21st Century Cures” initiative would spur innovation and drug “repurposing” to attack Alzheimer's and other difficult-to-treat diseases. Read More » Congress addresses post-acute care payment reform
MedPAC, lawmakers call for payment revisions to cut costs and eliminate abuse in how post-acute care facilities are reimbursed to improve quality of care. Read More » SGR fix ahead
Congress may solve the sustainable growth rate puzzle, but for the long term, it may not matter all that much. Read More » ‘Fix the SGR 2.0’ heading your way
Can Congress and President Obama agree on a way to move forward before the latest ‘doc fix’ expires on March 31? Read More » Looking for a miracle
Will the new Congress finally fix the SGR—and therapy caps? How will the costs of reforms be covered? Read More » Challenges to Medicare, Medicaid ahead
A recent congressional hearing is precursor as to what lies ahead for Medicare and Medicaid in reform efforts to reduce costs. Read More » The battle over immigration reform
One of the first political “hot potatoes” the new Congress must address is amnesty for illegal immigrants, which would present long-term care organizations a broader pool of potential caregivers. Read More » Medicare challenge: When will Congress be up to the task?
Will members of Congress ever be able to cross the political divide and come up with a workable solution to Medicare funding? Read More » 