Russ,
I play nothing but the senior venues but I can add to your concerns and also have some feelings of frustration with many of the places I play.

Most of my venues have 200-400 residents at roughly a going price of $6500.00 per resident monthly if they need no special care. It goes up drastically if special care is required. These are the same places that gripe about paying an entertainer once a month - go figure.

But here is my latest and most angry gripe. Last month my Mother-In-Law nearly died and is currently in a "Rehab" center after being released from the hospital. She is 94 on July 4th this year and Medicare is paying for her stay for the first 20 days - I have no idea what they are billing medicare for the first 20 days. Now for the kicker - if after the first 20 days she can't be released she can stay another 80 days for which Medicare will pay 80%. My co-pay for that extra stay will be $141.50 a day!!! Do the math - this amounts to almost $22,000.00 total for a month!! Then I find out if she must stay there for more then a total of 100 days the total cost monthly for her, after Medicare runs out, will be about $4200.00. Are they kidding!

You want to know why Medicare and Medicaid is in trouble this is it. We were told this amount is the rate Medicare approves - my gosh what a racket. All she gets is a bed in which to sleep, 3 meals daily, physical therapy daily, and a call button to press if she needs anything. She has no phone but does have a TV and shares a room with another resident.

So yes Russ, I completely understand how you feel and why - it is the biggest rip-off of tax dollars going. How many of these places must there be in the US doing the same thing?

Deane