A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would delay implementation of the controversial Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) until 2020, but industry advocates say it does not address fundamental concerns with HHGM, including that it could cause catastrophic payment reductions of up to $4 billion to providers. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota, pictured above) […]
ElevatingHOME
Cuts to home health care payments under the proposed Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) are deeper than predicted by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That’s according to ElevatingHome, which ran an analysis of home health care claims with some of its members to look at the true impact of the model. The […]
The home health care industry is in a full blitz against the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM), if the public comments on the proposal are any indication. Now, lawmakers have joined the fight, as the public comment period comes to a close on September 25. The groupings model was proposed by the Centers for Medicare […]
With new conditions of participation (CoPs) coming in 2018 for home health care providers, the recently proposed payment system update feels like regulation overload to an industry already dealing with years of reimbursement rate cuts. The 2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) included a proposal […]
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new payment model for home health care agencies in late July, industry associations decried the significant changes, and public companies took a major hit. With a potential cut of $950 million to home health reimbursements in 2019 alone included in the model, associations are […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a new tool meant to help patients and their families find hospice care that best suits their needs. Hospice Compare is a new website that displays metrics related to the quality of care that a hospice provider delivers to its patients. The site is part of the CMS […]
Home health care providers are on edge after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposal Tuesday to overhaul the Medicare payment system, with major restructuring changes that could result in a payment cut of $950 million to home health care agencies in 2019. Stock values for Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED), Almost Family (Nasdaq: […]
The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to resurrect its plan to repeal Obamacare, prompting renewed fears among some home health care groups that thought the health care overhaul was on hold. The Senate voted 51-50 to begin debating legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), informally known as Obamacare. U.S. Vice President Mike […]
The Senate bill to repeal and replace key Affordable Care Act (ACA) policies failed Tuesday, leaving home health agencies and providers across the care spectrum in wait-and-see mode as to the future of Obamacare reform efforts. Released July 13, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) struggled to gain needed traction among Senate Republicans. The GOP […]
After proposing to push back the implementation date of the new home health care conditions of participation (CoPs)—the requirements for home health care agencies (HHAs) to participate in Medicare—the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the rule on Friday, July 7. The effective date for HHAs to comply with the new requirements is Jan. […]