At some point in their lives, most Americans will need some type of in-home care support. The issue is that — due to the caregiver shortage, the rising cost of care, Medicaid qualifications and a number of other factors — many of them won’t be able to afford it. As a way around the more […]
CMS
The number of hospice providers enrolled in the Medicare program in four states has skyrocketed over the past few years. The jaw-dropping spike, in turn, has triggered increased oversight efforts – some of which may not be having the desired effect. A similar trend could be happening in home health care in one major county, […]
In July, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over home health payment cuts. On Dec. 15, the Biden administration responded by asking a federal judge to throw out that lawsuit, […]
In the first six years of the Home Health Value‐Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model demonstration, the nine participating states saved Medicare $1.38 billion, a 1.9% decline relative to the 41 non‐HHVBP states. That’s according to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that evaluated the first six years of HHVBP […]
As more high-acuity care moves into the home, providers are keeping an eye on how workers in the field are responding to new types of work. A new study found that caregiver burden is mild to moderate in both the home and acute care facility settings. The study results, according to its authors, suggest that […]
Insurance giant Cigna (NYSE: CI) has reached an agreement with the U.S. government over claims it overcharged the Medicare Advantage (MA) program by misrepresenting patients’ conditions. As part of the agreement, Cigna will pay more than $172 million to the government and will also enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Department of […]
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) first announced the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model in late July, there was excitement and an eagerness to learn more from home-based care providers. The goal of the model, according to CMS, is to “support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers.” Even […]
A proposed rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – which would require at least 80% of Medicaid reimbursement for home- and community-based services go toward worker compensation – received over 2,100 submissions during its public comment period. Many of the comments included gratitude and appreciation for CMS regarding its efforts […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended a COVID-19 pandemic-era waiver that will allow home- and community-based service (HCBS) providers to take advantage of flexibilities in their state programs. The Appendix K waiver allowed HCBS providers more wiggle room during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. CMS introduced the waiver to […]
The past few years have been a time of transformation for the hospital-at-home model. As it cements its popularity, new players have begun to rise with it. While hospital at home has long been embraced across the globe — in Australia, Canada and across Europe, for example — the model popped up in the U.S. […]