Make Me Smart

What happens when private equity firms own nursing homes?


Listen Later

The long-term care industry has been plagued by unaffordable prices and staffing shortages, squeezed by growing demand as the country ages. But public health officials have been voicing concerns about another, more hidden issue: the rise of private-equity-owned nursing homes. On the show today, Mark Unruh, professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College, breaks down the long-term care industry, how nursing homes are impacted by private equity ownership, and what high, convoluted costs and staffing shortages mean for aging Americans seeking nursing home care.

Then, we’ll dig into a niche economic indicator and how work is weighing on us. Plus, how one listener used their pandemic stimulus cash.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

  • “How do nursing homes make money?” from Marketplace
      • “How Patients Fare When Private Equity Funds Acquire Nursing Homes” from the National Bureau of Economic Research
          • “‘They Were Traumatized’: How a Private Equity-Associated Lender Helped Precipitate a Nursing-home implosion” from Politico
              • “Who Really Owns Nursing Homes, And How The Feds Are About To Learn More” from Forbes
                  • “Dying Broke” from KFF Health News
                      • “Unhappy Workers Cost US Firms $1.9 Trillion” from Bloomberg
                          • “New LegalShield Data Reveals Highest Consumer Financial Stress Level in 3 Years” from LegalShield
                              • “TurboTax isn’t allowed to say it’s ‘free’ anymore” from The Verge
                              • We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

                                ...more
                                View all episodesView all episodes
                                Download on the App Store

                                Make Me SmartBy Marketplace

                                • 4.6
                                • 4.6
                                • 4.6
                                • 4.6
                                • 4.6

                                4.6

                                5,426 ratings


                                More shows like Make Me Smart

                                View all
                                Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

                                Freakonomics Radio

                                32,054 Listeners

                                Fresh Air by NPR

                                Fresh Air

                                38,491 Listeners

                                Planet Money by NPR

                                Planet Money

                                30,738 Listeners

                                The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

                                The NPR Politics Podcast

                                25,802 Listeners

                                Marketplace by Marketplace

                                Marketplace

                                8,769 Listeners

                                On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti by WBUR

                                On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

                                3,994 Listeners

                                Marketplace Morning Report by Marketplace

                                Marketplace Morning Report

                                926 Listeners

                                Marketplace All-in-One by Marketplace

                                Marketplace All-in-One

                                1,387 Listeners

                                Marketplace Tech by Marketplace

                                Marketplace Tech

                                1,275 Listeners

                                The Uncertain Hour by Marketplace

                                The Uncertain Hour

                                2,179 Listeners

                                The Daily by The New York Times

                                The Daily

                                111,848 Listeners

                                Up First from NPR by NPR

                                Up First from NPR

                                56,550 Listeners

                                The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

                                The Indicator from Planet Money

                                9,530 Listeners

                                Throughline by NPR

                                Throughline

                                16,373 Listeners

                                This Is Uncomfortable by Marketplace

                                This Is Uncomfortable

                                3,584 Listeners

                                Marketplace Minute by Marketplace

                                Marketplace Minute

                                163 Listeners

                                Million Bazillion by Marketplace

                                Million Bazillion

                                2,996 Listeners

                                How We Survive by Marketplace

                                How We Survive

                                1,377 Listeners

                                Financially Inclined by Marketplace

                                Financially Inclined

                                90 Listeners