House to Consider Bill Blocking Mandatory Cuts to Medicare

Home health providers may get continued relief from Medicare sequestration after all. On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced new legislation — H.R. 1868 — aimed at stopping automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other programs. House lawmakers plan to consider the legislation this week, setting the stage for possible relief before a […]

2% Cut to Home Health Agencies, Other Medicare Providers Nearing Unwanted Return

Among its many provisions, last year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act pressed pause on the government’s 2% payment cut to all Medicare-reimbursed health care providers. The “sequestration holiday” was immediately seen as a common-sense lifeline for cash-strapped home health providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom had […]

Humana Updates Management Team, LHC Group Fills Out Board

Humana updates management team with internal hires Health insurance giant Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has filled two leadership roles with internal candidates. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company has promoted Joseph Ventura to General Counsel and named Douglas Stoss interim lead for Humana’s Office of Corporate Affairs. Both will serve as members of the company’s management team. […]

HHS Appeal to Slow Backlog Mandate Doesn’t ‘Tilt the Scales’

Despite its resistance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must comply with a previously announced timetable for clearing a massive Medicare appeals backlog after all, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has decided. The Medicare appeals backlog grew exponentially in recent years due, in part, to more aggressive Medicare […]

Industry Groups Critique Home Health Reimbursement Changes

More home health payment cuts are coming, and home health care groups are fighting back against further proposals to change reimbursement measures. Most recently, industry groups shot back against the Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for calendar year 2017, which had an open public comment period that ended August 26. In conjunction with […]

Home Health Lashes Back Against Preauthorization Proposal

A recent proposal that would require home health agencies to receive prior authorization before caring for patients has been met with an onslaught of backlash by the industry. The period for home health agencies to submit comments on the preauthorization proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ended Tuesday with close to […]

Public Rallies Behind Medicare Payment for End-of-Life Talks

End-of-life care discussions between patients and doctors are getting major support from the public as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) weighs its proposal to include these talks as part of practitioner billing, a new poll revealed. About eight out of 10 Americans support Medicare and private insurance coverage for advance care discussions, […]

Hospital Group Opposes Proposed CMS Home Health Audit Rules

Of the various provisions outlined in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2015 proposed rule for the home health prospective payment system, just one section regarding new audit procedures for home health agencies has garnered opposition from a national hospital trade group. Specifically, the American Hospital Association (AHA) strongly opposes CMS’s proposal to […]

Remote Patient Monitoring Market Expected to Double by 2016

The value of the U.S. market for remote patient monitoring more than doubled between 2007 and 2011, and is expected to continue growth through 2016 as efforts to reduce the burden on hospitals and their resources progress, a report by medical market research company, Kalorama, finds.  The report titled Remote & Wireless Patient Monitoring Markets […]