It’s been a long time coming, but this week our readers were treated to the latest news on the final face-to-face rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). While the rule was the hot topic of the week, we also gave our dear readers the 4-1-1 on a penalty brought against an in-home respiratory care provider, which marked only the second time the Office for Civil Rights has imposed a civil monetary penalty for HIPAA violations.
We were interested in an emerging senior living trend in Germany and what seniors need to consider adapting at home to age in place.
Most Read
CMS Issues Final Rule on Medicaid Face-to-Face Requirement—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule requiring that physicians conduct and record face-to-face visits with patients in order to receive Medicaid coverage for home health services and medical equipment. Under the rule, physicians must document a meeting with a person to order home health services.
Industry Greets New Face-to-Face Rule With Cautious Optimism—The new face-to-face rule from CMS is officially set to take effect July 1, and industry groups have received the recent changes with applause. However, an area of potential concern could be documentation, as individual states will be responsible for modifying requirements pertaining to how extensive physician reports must be.
Home Health Provider Hit With $240,000 HIPAA Penalty—Lincare, a major provider of in-home respiratory care and other services, will pay $238,900 in civil monetary penalties for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), federal authorities announced Wednesday. This marks only the second time that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has imposed civil monetary penalties for HIPAA violations.
CMS Extends Home Health Moratorium…Again—In an attempt to bridle fraud, waste and abuse, CMS has extended its moratorium on the enrollment of Medicare home health agencies, as well as the enrollment of new Medicare Part B ground ambulance suppliers, in several cities for six months. CMS has extended the moratorium twice, and expanded it to include additional cities, since its first-ever moratorium took effect July 31, 2013.
Around the Web
In Germany, Retirees Have Found a Novel Way to Avoid Being Alone—Seniors in Germany are living the golden years together in an affordable city center apartment building, bilking the idea of traditional retirement communities and still living with like-minded adults independently. The project, dubbed “Oldies Leben Gemeinsam Aktiv” (OLGA) or “Active Oldies Living Together,” are just one example of an emerging type of senior housing: apartments that are affordable and accessible, but in active communities where residents can easily get together.
How to Continue Living At Home In Your Old Age—Taking note of the growing number of seniors in America, Forbes published a list of conditions to facilitate aging in place, including minor renovations such as walk-in showers and accessible cabinets to a community infrastructure with available services and accessible transportation.
