Hospitals improperly coding for post-discharge services contribute to hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare overpayments. And the majority of incorrect payments are often related to home health services. That’s according to a new audit report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The purpose of the OIG […]
Category: CMS
As home health leaders look to the future, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 emergency will likely continue to shape their efforts for years to come. In terms of business planning, it will likely be a long while before there’s a return to a world where the coronavirus isn’t the central driver of health care […]
Federal watchdogs are once again setting their sights on perceived improper billing practices by home health agencies. In an audit report published last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that stronger oversight of Low Utilization Payment Adjustments (LUPAs) in home health care could have saved […]
When the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) would resume for participating states in August, home-based care providers and advocates were up in arms over the decision. But as the resumption date approaches, industry advocates are making a last-ditch effort to get CMS’s attention and persuade […]
As hospitals continue to experience overcapacity challenges due to the COVID-19 emergency, 911 ambulance crews and community paramedics have found themselves treating more patients at home. Historically, ambulance crews and community paramedics — both of which operate in the emergency medical services (EMS) space — have always provided some degree of care in the home […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was a little bit off with some of its predictions related to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). At least, that’s true when it comes to the first four months of 2020, according to Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) data unveiled on a recent BlackTree Healthcare Consulting webinar. The […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) announced Tuesday that the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) would be renewed for participating states beginning in August. The RCD was suspended in late March due to the COVID-19 crisis, but now CMS is planning on moving forward with the demonstration “regardless of the status of the […]
Earlier in June, the Trump administration and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) touted a “renewed national commitment to value-based care.” But for that renewed commitment to take off in the home health care space, government officials need to act fast, industry insiders caution. There’s a widening value-based care gap between larger […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a number of new leadership appointments on Tuesday. The agency’s leadership shakeup includes naming a new chief medical officer, a role that had been vacant since Dr. Kate Goodrich joined Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) in March. Dr. Lee Fleisher will take over as CMS’s CMO […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed home health payment rule for 2021 last Thursday — the first time in a number of years the agency has done so in June. With relatively minimal changes, CMS’s proposal grants the home health industry a level of much-needed stability during a chaotic […]