Health care policymakers are already taking advantage of the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help out Medicare-reimbursed providers struggling with cash flow. On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it was expanding its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare providers, citing a need […]
The implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) has caused some home health providers to cut back on therapy utilization. But prehabilitation could have a positive impact during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, experts argue. While trying to navigate PDGM’s fundamental changes to therapy visits and reimbursement, many home health providers made wholesale changes to their […]
Officials from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) attempted to provide additional clarity to home health providers responding to the coronavirus pandemic Friday, speaking with stakeholders during a late morning conference call that quickly hit capacity. Among topics discussed, CMS offered guidance on telehealth policies, face-to-face rules and Medicare’s homebound requirement. More […]
So far during the COVID-19 pandemic, much attention has been given to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, as health care officials look to maximize bed capacity and avoid spreading the virus in long-term care settings. While home health, home care and hospice providers have been called out as key resources in the nation’s response to […]
In one of the latest sets of COVID-19 directions for Medicare providers, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled updated guidelines for all Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organizations on Tuesday. Broadly, CMS’s guidelines cover standard procedures for infection control and prevention for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. […]
One of the first moves from Washington, D.C., in reaction to COVID-19 was an $8.3 billion dollar funding bill that included some relaxed restrictions on telehealth services. On Tuesday, the U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advanced those efforts to make telehealth tools more accessible to health care providers and practitioners. It is […]
In a letter submitted to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) urged regulators to make several sweeping changes that would free up home health providers in their fight against COVID-19. The message to CMS came shortly after the World Health Organization […]
After days of issuing updated guidance for skilled nursing operators and other Medicare providers regarding COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now turning its attention to home health agencies. CMS issued home health guidance related to infection control and prevention for COVID-19 — often referred to as the coronavirus — […]
Six months into the new payment model for skilled nursing providers, the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is proving to be more costly than the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) initially anticipated. PDPM claims patterns could give home health providers a glimpse of what’s in store with the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). Broadly, PDPM […]
The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is shaking up the home health industry in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. Now with two months of the payment overhaul under their belt, providers are trying to predict the greater impact PDGM will have on the industry moving forward. Perhaps no one understands that potential impact […]