John W Rodat

What Will the Client Transition from Fee-for-Service to Managed Long Term Care Look Like?

December 20, 2011 Forecasting

We’ve already talked a little bit about how New York is undertaking a fundamental change in its Medicaid program. Similar changes are underway in many states. As part of this change, Medicaid clients in long term care are being transitioned from fee-for-service programs to various forms of managed care, including managed long term care. How […]

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Private Equity Gets a Lower Tax Rate. Why?

December 19, 2011 Business

Reading a New York Times Story on Mitt Romney’s continued receipt of income from Bain Capital, a company he left in early 1999, I was reminded of the special tax deal that hedge fund and private equity operators get. Tax treatment of hedge fund and private equity compensation has been another point of political contention. […]

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GASB Proposal to Require State & Local Governments to do Five Year Cash Flow Projections

December 19, 2011 Cash

Thanks to Lisa Henty, from the Orange County, NC Budget Office, for reminding us that the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is seeking public comment on a Preliminary Views proposing that state and local governments prepare financial projections to better present their economic conditions. From the December 6, 2011, GASB press release: The GASB is […]

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The Albany County Nursing Home Soap Opera Continues: Episodes 4,564, 4,565, 4,566

December 16, 2011 County Government

Episode 4,564: When we last tuned in, the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council had politely suggested that Albany County might want to re-evaluate its plans to build a new, ridiculously expensive Nursing Home. The rationale was that the State was about to issue new nursing home rates based on an entirely […]

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Home Care Workers to be Assured of Minimum Wage, Overtime and Pay for Travel Time

December 15, 2011 Federal Government

SInce 1974, based on their characterization as “companions,” much like babysitters, home care workers have been exempt from provisions of Federal Labor Law regarding minimum wages, overtime and travel time. Evelyn Coke, a home care worker Long Island sued her employer regarding these, ultimately her case reached the US Supreme Court. (Here’s a video from […]

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Albany County Budget Stands … as a Document … Stay Tuned for Reality

December 15, 2011 Budget

As we noted earlier, Mike Breslin, the retiring Albany County Executive vetoed a number of legislative changes to his proposed budget. They would have had the unusual effect of increasing property taxes because he vetoed increased revenue estimates and new forms of “savings.” This past evening, by a very close vote (two-thirds of the members […]

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Albany County Budget Vetoes Would Increase (Not Decrease) Property Taxes

December 13, 2011 Budget

Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, with just a couple weeks to go before his 16 year tenure ends, has issued a series of unusual budget vetoes. These may be his most significant budget vetoes ever and they certainly are within the past half-dozen years, but there’s a twist. They would lead to increased property taxes […]

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The Next Generation of Medicaid in New York

December 12, 2011 Budget

I used to write a lot about New York’s Medicaid program here (here are the Medicaid posts). But then, just as a cap on growth of local government (New York City and counties outside NYC) Medicaid liabilities was created, I went to work for one of those counties. The county liability is now fixed by […]

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What Happened to Health Coverage Around 1980, What happened the Last Dozen Years and Why it Still Makes a Difference

December 12, 2011 Economics

Interesting chart (the second one) posted by Lane Kenworthy today and some interesting debates and here on when the US healthcare system performance began to look different from the rest of the world. Kenworthy’s chart depicts the relationship between health expenditures per capita and life expectancy. Here’s my contribution from a while back, while I […]

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Another NY County Shedding its Nursing Home

December 9, 2011 Budget

No budget detail yet, but as part of its budget process, Ulster County has determined to get out of the nursing home business. They’ve established a county-run limited development corporation (LDC) as an intermediary to smooth the process. More details later.

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