While industry advocates have battled proposals for home health co-pays in the past, for some it has been a frustrating fight without end. Co-pays are an issue that will not go away, according to James Fuccione, director of Legislative & Public Affairs for Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. “We’re frustrated any time a co-pay proposal […]
Category: Medicare
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a final rule that amends its payment regulation for non-VA providers to include providers of home health and hospice services. Effective November 15, 2013, non-Va home health and hospice providers that do not have a negotiated contract with the VA will be paid the lowest Medicare rate […]
The former patient recruiter for a Miami home health agency charged with $20 million in fraudulent Medicare billing has been sentenced to 37 months in prison and has been ordered to pay $1.85 million in restitution for his participation in the scheme. Manuel Lozano pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive health care […]
Chemed Corporation, the largest for-profit hospice chain in the United States, has been accused of fraudulent Medicare billing for hospice and healthcare services—such as crisis care for a patient who was playing bingo part of the time—the Department of Justice announced on Thursday. The government’s complaint alleges that Chemed and Vitas Hospice Services LLC, a […]
Post-acute care providers with home care and hospice components will be head and shoulders above the competition among those looking to partner with hospitals as part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), said two healthcare lawyers. “Going it alone will no longer be a viable long-term strategy,” said John Durso, JD, partner at law firm Ungaretti […]
Despite “massive” need for home health aides and other personal care workers, little is being done to increase the size of this labor force by bettering wages and working conditions, experts said during the May 1 edition of The Diane Rehm Show. “There’s a massive need… but we’re doing nothing to boost the supply for […]
An employee of a Detroit home health company pleaded guilty last week for her role in a Medicare fraud conspiracy, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Dana Sharma, 30, of Detroit, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise Hood in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health […]
A trade group for in-home care equipment suppliers wants to delay implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment (DME) in the new areas where Round 2 contracts have recently been awarding, citing access issues. Federal regulator are expecting DME prices to keep dropping with the […]
Health Alliance Medical Plans and naviHealth announced today the expansion of a partnership to prevent costly hospital readmissions. The partnership will utilize naviHealth’s clinical decision support technology and field-based Care Managers to manage Health Alliance’s members across the post-acute care continuum, the company said in a release. “As greater coordination of care is increasingly being recognized […]
One goal of President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget proposal, submitted last week to Congress, is to reduce the nation’s debt deficit, but the home health care industry may suffer as a result, according to two Forbes columnists. In order to achieve deficit reduction while simultaneously increasing discretionary spending by about $1.4 billion, the budget has […]
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