After a damning report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the rising number of Medicare claims appeals and the resulting dramatic backlog of unresolved cases, the latest proposed changes to clear out the backlog have appeared. Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) process an estimated 1.2 billion fee-for-service claims on behalf of the Centers for […]
President Obama has signed the Older Americans Reauthorization Act (OAA) into law, reestablishing funding levels for many services that enable millions of older adults to remain in their homes through retirement. The legislation provides funding for critical services including Meals on Wheels, transportation, caregiver support, legal services, elder abuse protection and more, for the next […]
The way home health agencies are reimbursed by Medicare could soon change, as members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted to move ahead with an overhaul of the current payment system for post-acute care settings. The commission recommends to Congress how much providers should receive in Medicare payments every year, but the commission’s […]
The federal government has unveiled a new tool to support home-based health care. Health care organizations and other community groups now can use an interactive online map to help ensure that people who use electric medical and assistive equipment in their homes can remain safe during severe weather and other emergencies. The HHS emPOWER Map […]
In case you missed them, here are the top headlines grabbing Home Health Care News readers’ attention this week. Poll: Nearly 50% of Home Care Providers to Cut Staff—We polled readers to find out whether they anticipate staff numbers will fall as a result of the employer mandate under the Affordable Care Act, to take […]
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is banking on a new fall prevention program that aims to help seniors continue living at home longer and delay the move to costlier care settings like nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Developed by HHS, the comprehensive prevention program includes clinical in-home assessments of health, physical […]
Federal agencies that fund home- and community-based services (HCBS) don’t work together well, undercutting seniors’ ability to age in their own homes, according to a government report released Wednesday. A federal strategy is needed to increase coordination and improve the availability and effectiveness of HCBS programs, the report states. Five federal agencies provide funding for […]
Twenty-eight states, three territories and the District of Columbia will be the beneficiaries to over $665 million in Affordable Care Act funding to design and test health care payment and service delivery models that strive to both improve health care quality and lower costs, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced Tuesday. […]
Most home health agencies (HHAs) and physicians report that access to home health care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries is is good, however, insufficient reimbursement remains an issue in serving this vulnerable patient population, according to a new report. That is the sentiment of 1,075 Medicare-ceritfied HHAs and 510 physicians surveyed in a recent report to […]
The owner and operator of a Miami, Fla., home health care company was sentenced to more than six years in prison Monday for her alleged participation in a $6.5 million Medicare fraud scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Cruz Sonia Collado, 64, was an owner and operator of the now-defunct home health care […]
