“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”
This week, music lovers mourned the loss of Prince, but we kept you up to date on the latest happenings in the home health world.
Our readers were interested in what MedPAC had to say about moving closer to a single payment system following an April meeting, while Obama signed the Older Americans Reauthorization Act. They were also tuned into a verdict on the largest-ever home health fraud case and the impact of impending minimum wage hikes.
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MedPAC Affirms ‘First Step’ Toward New Payment System—The way home health agencies are reimbursed by Medicare could soon change, as members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted to move ahead with an overhaul of the current payment system for post-acute care settings. The commission’s April meeting affirmed its plan to create a single payment system across all post-acute care services.
Obama Sings Older Americans Reauthorization Act—After being approved by both houses of Congress earlier this year, President Obama singed the Older Americans Reauthorization Act into law, reestablishing funding levels for many services that enable millions of older adults to remain in their homes through retirement. The legislation provides critical funding for services including Meals on Wheels, transportation, caregiver support, legal services, elder abuse protection and more, for the next three years.
Jury Finds Doctor Guilty in Largest-Ever Home Health Care Fraud—A Dallas physician and three home health agency owners have been found guilty of committing the nation’s largest home health care fraud involving a single doctor. The doctor and three owners were found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, stemming from their roles in an almost $375 million health care fraud scheme, the Department of Justice announced.
Home Care Must ‘Plan Ahead’ For Minimum Wage Hikes—Planning ahead will be crucial for home health and home care agencies, as both California and New York recently approved minimum wage hikes that mean workers will soon earn $15 an hour. Other states could soon follow as the momentum behind the fight for a higher wage continues to grow.
Around the Web
Your Elderly Parent is Home From the Hospital. What Happens Next?—Many adult children find themselves asking what to do after an elderly parent is discharged from the hospital. Figuring out how to take care of a parent when their health condition changes is a significant challenge, The Washington Post writer Jill Adams shares in a personal experience following her mother’s discharge after a hospital visit.
Amy’s Adds
Earth Was Lucky to Get 57 Years of Prince—”Prince stripped us down to our core his entire career,” Vulture writes in an ode to the late musician and his impact on the music scene.
Written by Amy Baxter
Companies featured in this article:
CMS, Department of Justice, MedPAC, The Washington Post, Vulture
