The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued four change requests that provide guidance on home health policy and claims processing issues, seeking to improve compliance and prevent program vulnerability. The first, Change Request 8699, prevents duplicate payments when overlapping inpatient and home health claims are out of sequence. The request improves safeguards […]
Category: CMS
Hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries will see an estimated 1.4%, or $230 million, increase in their reimbursements for fiscal year 2015, according to a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The payment increase would be the net result of a hospice payment update to the hospice per diem rates of […]
Medicare fraud continues to be an ever-present area of concern across various industries and home health is no exception as regulators strive to realize cost savings by identifying improper billing behavior. In fiscal year 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identified or prevented more than $210.7 million in improper payments billed to […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it is issuing a six-month extention of its moratoria for newly enrolling home health agencies in specified geographic regions, effective immediately. CMS used this Affordable Care Act tool twice before as part of its efforts to fight fraud, safeguard taxpayer dollars and ensure access […]
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), pushing the agency to give hospice organizations more time to comply with upcoming cost report changes. Industry organizations await CMS’ final version of the revised Hospice Cost & Data Report, which proposes significant […]
The controversial face-to-face encounter requirements have been the subject of concern for many home health care organizations, whose staff and physicians must complete hours of “burdensome” paperwork to comply with the new regulations, industry professionals say. But with a surge in the use of electronic health records, a product has emerged that is helping physicians […]
The Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees annual review of the programs finds Medicare is projected to have sufficient funds four years longer than what was projected last year; and reports no change from the 2013 report’s projection that Social Security funds will be exhausted in 2033. The new projection for the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has scaled back its restrictions requiring all hospice drugs to be approved before they can be dispensed. Now, prior authorization will only be necessary for four categories of prescription drugs: analgesics, anti-nauseants, laxatives and anti-anxiety medications, according to a recent CMS memorandum. “We recognize that the operational […]
Last week, CMS announced plans to re-compete the supplier contracts awarded in Round 2 of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. By law, CMS is required to re-compete contracts under the DMEPOS bidding program at least once every three years. Under the program, DMEPOS providers bid against each […]
In an industry rife with funding cuts, it will be sink or swim for home health and hospice providers who want to continue operating under thinning margins and rising regulations. Those providers who can diversify their service offerings, however, can find the lifesaver they need to survive in the current Medicare home health environment marked […]
Subscribe
Receive industry updates and breaking news from HHCN