Home Health Agencies Conquering Fear of PDGM Boogeyman

The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) was one of the largest concerns for the home health industry after it was finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in October 2019. But now that it has been implemented and agencies have faced their boogeyman, confidence under the new payment model is growing, industry insiders […]

Breaking Down the Latest Home Health Compare Update

Home Health Compare has undergone its latest round of updates. Once again, nearly all measures saw improvement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially updated Home Health Compare on Oct. 30. CMS typically updates the online tool built to educate consumers on quality of care on a quarterly basis. When it comes to […]

PDGM 101: Advice for Small-Scale Home Health Agencies

The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is less than three full months away. Among its biggest changes, PDGM halves the traditional 60-day billing period to 30 days and places greater emphasis on coding with a new 432-point case-mix mechanism. If those two changes weren’t enough, the overhaul also comes with a potential 8% behavioral adjustment cut […]

Shifting ACO Rules Create Uncertainty for Home Health Agencies

Home health agencies are still unsure what a recent overhaul of Medicare’s accountable care organization (ACO) program means for them. They will be affected, experts say, but how and to what extent remains unclear. Called “Pathways to Success,” the new policies for ACOs were announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about […]

WellSky Taps Fazzi Head as CCO; Collective Medical Hires New Leadership

WellSky Creates, Fills New Position WellSky, a health and community care technology company backed by TPG Capital, has named a new chief clinical officer. Fazzi Associates President Tim Ashe will hold the newly created position, in which Ashe will guide meaningful patient outcomes, combining technology and clinical care. Ashe will continue to serve as president […]

WellSky Targets Hospice, Palliative Care With Fifth Acquisition of 2018

WellSky, a health and community care technology company backed by TPG Capital, has acquired Consolo Services Group, formerly a portfolio company of Bluff Point Associates that provides healthcare IT services with a focus on hospice. Financial terms are not being disclosed. The deal expands WellSky’s investment in hospice and offers an entry point into other […]

CMS Makes Latest Update to Home Health Compare

The latest update to Home Health Compare is in — with nearly all measures seeing improvement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially updated its Home Health Compare results Wednesday. Home Health Compare is an online tool where consumers can look up quality of care and other information about home health providers. CMS typically […]

PDGM Likely to Shake Up Patient Populations for Home Health Agencies

The latest proposed payment model from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could shake up how the home health industry treats referrals that come from institutional settings versus community-based ones. As a result of changes under the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), agencies may start trying to form closer relationships with hospitals or skilled nursing […]

CMS Reports Widespread Quality Improvement in Latest Hospice Compare Update

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated data on its Hospice Compare website earlier this month—and all quality measures showed overall improvement. Launched in August 2017, the Hospice Compare tool reports information on hospices across the nation and is designed to give patients, family members and health care providers a snapshot of the […]