[Updated] CMS Finalizes 0.8% Home Health Payment Increase For 2024, Additional PDGM Cuts

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2024 home health final payment rule Wednesday. It comes with an estimated aggregate increase to 2024 home health payments of 0.8%, or $140 million, compared to 2023 aggregate payments. But that doesn’t tell the entire story, with sharp rate cuts also finalized. “The $140 […]

CMS Cuts Back on Hospice Drug Restrictions

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 […]

Gentiva, Amedisys Among Top Home Health Providers in 2012

The 2012 HomeCare Elite list was announced last week, ranking the top 100 and top 500 home health agencies in the nation. Gentiva Health Services, Amedisys Home Health, and Maxim Healthcare Services topped the list this year.  Using publicly available data from Home Health Compare and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), OCS […]

NAHC Rallies Behind Proposal For Tighter Medicare Regulations

In response to the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) findings of $1.5 billion in inappropriate Medicare spending, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) expressed support for tighter Medicare regulations in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The OIG found that SNFs billed one-quarter of all claims in error, resulting in $1.5 billion in unsuitable […]