Fierce Healthcare reported on a new study about specialists in the nursing home industry. JAMA recently published a study showing the number of doctors and advanced practitioners who specialize on nursing home care increased by more than a third between 2012 and 2015. The number of specialists rose from 5,127 to 6,857, an increase of 33.7%.
Kaiser Health News had an incredible story about greed in the health care industry. Vulture capitalism controls health care in America. Private equity is a major problem. Deep-pocketed Wall Street firms plowed $206 billion into more than 1,400 health care acquisitions according to industry tracker PitchBook. Private equity firms and related entities profit by violating
California Ensign Expands in Texas The Ensign Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENSG) issued a press release after acquiring the following skilled nursing facilities in Texas: Brodie Ranch Nursing and Rehabilitation, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility located in Austin, Texas; Onion Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a 125-bed skilled nursing facility located in Austin, Texas; Riverside Nursing and
The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that bankrupt nursing home chain QHC Facilities owes taxpayers $6 million in unpaid fines and fees for abuse-and-neglect violations. QHC Facilities owns eight nursing homes and two assisted living facilities in Iowa. Regulators cited QHC for at least 184 regulatory violations in the past 20 months. Court records show the chain owes
Weill Cornell Medical College researchers analyzed ownership and clinical indicators. Researchers found nursing homes owned and operated by private equity firms are more likely to cause residents to visit ambulatory care-sensitive emergency department visits (i.e. traumatic falls) and hospitalizations. The researchers wrote in JAMA Health Forum wrote: “This cohort study suggests that [private equity] firm–owned
Whistleblower Settlement The IndyStar reported on a $5.5 million settlement over allegations of false claims and Medicare fraud. American Senior Communities LLC (ASC) is a private company that operates dozens of nursing homes owned by Health & Hospital Corp. of Marion County. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana announced the settlement.