Federal Judge Rules Breach of Contract in DME Bidding Suit

Medical supply company CardioSom, LLC has prevailed in its lawsuit against the U.S. government, paving the way for some 300 other providers to follow suit, HME News reports.  Chief Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims recently ruled that the government was in breach of contract when it rescinded contracts in the original […]

CMS Proposes Revisions to Face-to-Face Payment Claims

In response to growing pressure from health care organizations to revise its face-to-face encounter regulations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes Tuesday that would eliminate the narrative requirement in 2015. The proposed changes come on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), which […]

CMS to Cut Home Health Medicare Payments by $58 Million in 2015

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes Tuesday that would reduce Medicare payments to home health agencies by 0.3% in 2015. The proposed rule for 2015 cuts the Medicare home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) by $58 million, and reflects the effects of the 2.2% home health payment update percentage — […]

Hospice Advocates Unite for Two-Day Rally on Capitol Hill

More than 240 hospice advocates have converged on Capitol Hill Tuesday, in efforts to call on Congress to temporarily halt implementation of CMS actions they say are leaving hospice patients without medications they need at the end of life.  The campaign is spearheaded by the Hospice Action Network (HAN) and the National Hospice and Palliative […]

CMS Reverses Face-to-Face Policy for Home Health Care Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today told the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) that it is reversing its previous position on the face-to-face requirement for Medicare Advantage (MA) plan members who receive home health care services. In a memorandum issued by CMS on Wednesday, the agency clarified that a […]

Health Care Case Could Change Labor Union Landscape

An Illinois nonunion private healthcare workers’ case, recently heard by the Supreme Court, is putting a magnifying glass to the way such workers operate, and could change the way labor unions operate both within and outside of the home health sector. In the Harris v. Quinn case, nonunion private home care workers charge their First […]

NAHC Files Lawsuit Against CMS Over Face-to-Face Payment Claims

After months of planning, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has finally filed its lawsuit last week against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) over allegations regarding the federal agency’s rule for face-to-face physician encounters.  The NAHC Board of Directors approved the lawsuit before its June 5 filing, citing the […]

90% of IL Hospice Employees Fail to Meet State Standards

Recently published findings from an audit of Medicaid and Medicare hospice providers found that 90% of those randomly sampled did not meet state hospice licensure requirements related to hospice workers. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General conducted an audit to determine whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) reliance […]