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. […]
Category: CMS
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 […]
In 2019, LHC Group hit the 100,000 mark for its patient census, revved its M&A engine and doubled down on its joint venture strategy with hospitals and health systems. It did all that while aggressively preparing for the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and finalizing the integration of the industry-shaping Almost Family acquisition. For all those […]
Despite the benefits of telehealth services, the general lack of reimbursement under Medicare has created persistent roadblocks when it comes to widespread adoption among U.S. home health providers. Over the past several years, telehealth services have proven their value when it comes to improving access to care for patients and lowering overall health care costs. […]
Federal health care policymakers have introduced a new proposed rule that would extend the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled-payment model for an additional three years. The proposed rule, released last Thursday, would also expand CJR’s reach to outpatient procedures. Currently, CJR — an area many home health providers have gotten involved with — […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last month that Home Health Compare — its consumer-facing database of home health provider quality information — will soon be incorporated with seven other Compare sites to create a larger tool named “Medicare Care Compare.” The goal is to consolidate and make the Compare tool […]