The COVID-19 virus has driven much discussion over the best ways to revamp home-based care moving forward. Suggestions as to how to do that have ranged from small tweaks to seismic shifts, from fine-tuning documentation requirements to allowing for direct telehealth reimbursement. While seemingly endless, all of the ideas are valuable, CareAcademy.com CMO and co-founder […]
Family health care decision-makers have followed the devastating effects that the COVID-19 virus has had on the long-term care facilities. That experience is now pushing them toward home-based care, new data suggests. Over 50% of family members are now more likely to choose in-home care for their loved ones than they were prior to the […]
In an effort to ease some of the COVID-19 burden, federal regulators have relaxed certain restrictions on home-based care providers since the Trump administration declared a public health emergency on March 13. But while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other agencies loosen their grip, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday it has finalized changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D. The changes — detailed in a final rule for 2021 — partly seek to strengthen access to telehealth services, an increasingly important component of the health care system amid the ongoing coronavirus emergency. […]
After an immense disruption from the COVID-19 virus led to a dip in patient visits and revenue, home-based care insiders are now reporting budding signs of normalcy. The public health crisis, of course, is far from over. But the initial panic is subsiding, patients are receiving care again and providers are gaining confidence operating in […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted further flexibility to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to offer more benefits to beneficiaries during the COVID-19 crisis. For home care providers, that could mean more business opportunity. The Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) program was announced in 2019 for the 2020 plan […]
The first wave of COVID-19 victims are the individuals directly impacted by the virus, the ones who contribute to the mounting death toll listed on news tickers every day. The second wave of victims, though, has yet to receive much air time. And it’s this second wave that has some home health industry insiders concerned […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the White House announced a new round of regulatory flexibilities aimed at improving care for seniors during the coronavirus Thursday. Home health agencies, however, were largely left out of the picture — again. In its announcement, CMS outlined steps it is taking to increase access […]
Like most in the health care sector, Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE: EHC) took a hit to its business in March as the COVID-19 outbreak intensified. Usually bullish on its near-term home health and hospice projections, the Birmingham, Alabama-based company is now more focused on getting back to a sense of normalcy. Encompass Health leadership detailed […]
To help stabilize cash flow, the federal government has given home health providers access to a bevy of financial tools. For starters, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began paying out a total of $30 billion in “no strings attached” money to Medicare providers on April 10, drawing from the CARES Act […]