The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is in need of a “course correction,” top U.S. health care officials believe. And part of that may include a national expansion of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model. Created under the Affordable Care Act, CMMI — also known as the CMS Innovation Center — supports the […]
CMS
In August, the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) unveiled a first-of-its kind, comprehensive analysis of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). Among its findings, the analysis — conducted by health economics and policy consulting firm Dobson DaVanzo & Associates — highlighted how government spending on home health care is 21.6% lower than what the U.S. […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a treasure trove of new Medicare Advantage (MA) statistics late Thursday. While the new numbers flag a general rise in MA enrollment and drop in premiums, they also reveal a massive expansion of the supplemental benefit programs that have gotten home care operators so excited over […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday released $165 million in supplemental funding for Money Follows the Person (MFP) programs, which encourage transitions from long-term care facilities to home- and community-based settings. In the grand scheme of government health care spending, $165 million is only a drop in the bucket. In […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took a new step on Wednesday to support care transitions from long-term care facilities into home- and community-based settings. On Wednesday, CMS announced the availability of up to $165 million in supplemental funding to states currently operating Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration programs. MFP programs […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is once again calling attention to its previously outlined commitment to value-based care strategies. The agency on Tuesday released new guidance to help states shift more toward value-based approaches under their Medicaid programs. The overarching goal of the guidance is to better align health care provider […]
Although the concrete details are unknown, the federal government appears to be taking steps toward distributing point-of-care COVID-19 diagnostic tests to home health agencies, which have largely been prioritized behind skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and other congregate aging services providers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Aug. 27 that it […]
Nine months after initially floating the idea, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched Care Compare, a consumer-facing database of provider quality information. The agency announced the launch on Thursday. CMS originally announced its plan to merge Home Health Compare with the seven other Compare sites in January. Agency officials said […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially closed its public comment window for the 2021 proposed home health payment rule on Monday. Unlike the past couple of years, the latest proposed payment rule included relatively minor changes and rate adjustments for the year ahead. In light of the mild proposal, CMS only […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday it will not resume a full-blown resumption of the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for home health agencies in participating states later this month. Instead, CMS is “phasing in” RCD for agencies in North Carolina and Florida. Agencies in Illinois, Ohio and Texas will be […]