Home Health Industry: CMS Documentation Proposal Needs Work

A rule proposed by CMS that seeks to make documenting therapy care for patients easier has not been well-recieved by home health professionals as they believe the rule’s less flexible parameters will actually make documentation more difficult. The rule proposes a change in the way home care patients receiving therapy are evaluated by qualified therapists, […]

Healthcare Companies Drowning in Data Overload or Just Treading Water?

An Oracle report recently found an 85% increase in electronic data storage over the past two years, and although health care professionals may seem to be drowning in a sea of collected information, industry leaders believe the data overload is only temporary.   The Oracle report, which spanned 11 industries, surveyed 333 C-level U.S. and […]

Govt. Inspector Finds 25% of Home Health Agencies Make Inappropriate Medicare Claims

A Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) report released today finds that one in four Home Health Agencies (HHA) participated in questionable billing activity in 2010. The report, titled Inappropriate and Questionable Billing by Medicare Home Health Agencies, breaks down the $5 million Medicare paid to HHAs for inappropriate health […]

$62 Million Grant to Increase Use of Home Care in Iowa

Iowa’s home care industry will reap the benefits of a $62 million grant funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in an effort to help long term Medicaid beneficiaries over the next three years by expanding availability of home care, according to the Iowa Department of Human Services.  The grant was awarded […]

Hospice Payments to Rise 0.9%, CMS Says

A net 0.9% increase in hospice payments will begin October 1, Centers for Medicare And Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a home hospice wage index notice posted Tuesday.  The impact of this new rule is projected to decrease federal payments to hospices by $100 million in fiscal year (FY) 2013. Previously when introducing new rules, CMS has […]