What Home Health Learned From the CoP Interpretive Guidelines Draft

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a draft of the much-anticipated interpretive guidelines for the Conditions of Participation (CoPs), finally giving home health care agencies some clarity on the new requirements. The draft comes as the deadline for the implementation of the new CoPs is winding down; the effective date […]

Proposal to Withdraw Groupings Model Hits Congressional Committee

A unified compromise proposal has been offered to the House Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the Congressional House of Representatives, to withdraw the proposed home health groupings model (HHGM). The model was proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July as part of the home health prospective […]

Sleep, Meals Do Not Count as Work Hours in NY Live-In Shifts

Sleep and meal times do not need to be counted as hours worked in a 24-hour shift for caregivers in New York, according to the latest statement from the state’s Department of Labor (DOL). The statement supplements an October 6 emergency regulation update regarding the state’s 24-hour/live-in care, in which the NY DOL re-emphasized the […]

What to Expect in Hospice Care in 2018

Hospice care providers are in store for some big changes in 2018, including increasing quality reporting requirements and more data revelations on Hospice Compare. With ongoing shifts across the health care continuum, hospice providers need to be up to date on their data reporting requirements—and understand how their actions today can influence the rule making of […]

The Hidden Rate Cut Inside HHGM

Most home health care stakeholders aren’t feeling the proposed home health groupings model (HHGM).  That’s mainly because providers, associations and others with interests in the industry are vehemently opposed to the payment cuts within the proposal, which aims to make several radical changes to the current home health payment model. Specifically, HHGM proposes to change […]

With No Guidance, Another CoP Delay Could Be Coming

Home health care agencies are tentatively waiting on the interpretive guidelines from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the new Conditions of Participation (CoPs), which are currently set to go into effect January 13, 2018, and cost roughly $300 million. With just a few months left to prepare, agencies are still on […]

Home Health Providers Eye 24-Hour Payments in New York State

This week, home health care providers in New York may have been breathing a sigh of relief after the state’s Department of Labor (DOL) re-emphasized that employers should pay caregivers for 13 hours of any 24-hour shift. However, conflicting statements are leaving providers in the state in limbo. The DOL issued an emergency statement in […]

Hospice Honeymoon with Regulations is Over

While the home health care industry has seen more and more regulations come through that pike, hospice may appear to be a bit more of a safe haven in post-acute care. However, increasing regulation pressures are likely to advance, according to Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), and […]

Home Health Groupings Model Has a 50/50 Chance

Long Beach, Calif. — The Home Health Groupings Model, originally proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July, is looking more likely to become a final rule based on signs from the nation’s capital, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice indicated Monday. The chances of the groupings model being […]

CMS Withdraws Redundant Same-Sex Spousal Rights Proposal

In line with the new administration’s promise to reduce regulations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has withdrawn a proposed rule to extend spousal rights to same-sex married couples. The rule is no longer needed, as same-sex marriage became legal and recognized in all 50 states since it was proposed, the agency stated […]