Almost Family Sees Record Revenue, Supports Pre-Claim

A slew of acquisitions and a leap into innovative investments over the last few years is seemingly paying off for a major home health care services provider. Almost Family (Nasdaq: AFAM) reported record revenue in its recently released quarterly earnings report. For the second quarter of 2016, the Louisville, Kentucky-based company announced net service revenues […]

Coalition Urges CMS to Hit Pause on Pre-Claim Review

Home health leaders continue to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to hit pause on the Medicare pre-claim review demonstration, which became active and applicable to all home health agencies in the state of Illinois on Monday. The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare, in particular, voiced concern that CMS has gone ahead […]

Medicare Hospice Payments to Increase by $350 Million in 2017

Hospice providers will receive a 2.1% Medicare payment rate increase for calendar year 2017, representing a total increase of about $350 million, according to a final rule issued Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The final amount is slightly higher than the increase of 2%, or $330 million overall, which CMS […]

Editor’s Picks: New Bundled Payment Model

Hold on to your hats, folks! The winds of new regulations are blowing in fast. This week was all about new regulations, as we clue in our readers to the newest bundled payment initiative coming down the pipe from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. At the same time, home health industry groups were […]

OIG: Home Health Agency Owes $7.5 Million for Medicare Overpayments

A home health provider based in Brooklyn, New York, should pay back more than $7 million in Medicare payments that it received improperly, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) states in a compliance review released Wednesday. Medicare claims submitted by Excellent Home Care Services LLC for services in […]

CMS Unveils Bundled Payments for Heart Conditions, Femur Fractures

Home health agencies already are becoming more enmeshed with hospitals and other providers through new payment models, and that’s set to accelerate thanks to a program announced Monday. The proposed bundled payment model could mean closer hospital and home health coordination for patients with certain heart conditions, as well as those recovering from hip and […]

NAHC: Pre-Claim Review Makes No Sense, Goes Too Far

Days away from the start of the pre-claim review demonstration in Illinois, industry groups are pushing back yet again. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) recently submitted harsh comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over the pre-claim pilot program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The […]

Agencies Question MAC Readiness for Pre-Claim Submissions

With less than two weeks until the first Pre-Claim Review Demonstration by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) begins in Illinois, home health care providers are eager to get their last-minute question answered. In the most recent public call with CMS, home health providers were mostly concerned with technical issues related to submissions. The demonstration […]

Home Care Director Admits Guilt in $45 Million Fraud Scheme

A former home health care executive has pleaded guilty for her part in a fraud scheme worth $45 million that involved falsifying medical records of Medicare beneficiaries. Avelina Fiel, the former director of nursing of Illinois-based Pathways Home Health Services LLC, pled guilty this week to a single count of conspiracy to commit health care […]

Agencies Post Strong Quality Numbers But Patients Not Wowed

Home health agencies across the country continue to step up on quality of patient care, but that doesn’t mean that more patients are enthusiastic about their providers, judging by the latest round of Home Health Compare data. National averages have improved for nearly all the quality of patient care measures that the government tracks and […]