‘We Are Losing Excellent Direct Care Staff’: Home-Based Care Providers Report Vaccine-Mandate Blowback

Hundreds of in-home care workers in Rhode Island have resigned from their posts due to the state’s mandatory vaccine policies, the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care announced Tuesday. That, in turn, has jeopardized patient care in the state. An emergency declaration was made Aug. 17, requiring all licensed health care workers in Rhode Island […]

More Telehealth, Less Red Tape: What Agencies Should Know About CMS’s Home Health Changes

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) took “unprecedented” action to reduce red tape for home health care agencies and other Medicare providers on Monday. Although the changes are, in theory, temporary, many home health stakeholders welcomed the newfound flexibility aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, however, were left scratching their heads, confused […]

As Confirmed Cases Rise, Home Health Industry Turns Its Attention to Coronavirus

COVID-19 — the viral disease more commonly known as the coronavirus — is spreading. Already, concern has grown throughout the senior living and skilled nursing spaces, especially after confirmed cases surfaced at a Kirkland, Washington-based long-term care facility. The home health care industry has also started to prepare for possible disruption. “People have been asking […]

Credit, Billing Staff Are Keys to a Smooth Financial Transition into PDGM

When the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) takes effect Jan. 1, home health care billing processes will become significantly more complicated. The new model revolutionizes the way agencies are reimbursed, cutting payment periods in half and requiring more detailed claims, among other changes. As a result, PDGM will likely put financial strain on even the most […]

Fair Scheduling Trend Could Spell Trouble for At-Home Care Providers

In recent years and months, rising minimum wage has been top of mind for home-based care providers, adding another level of difficulty to attracting and retaining workers. But fair scheduling legislation that’s gaining steam in cities and states across the country could soon take center stage — and potentially make matters worse. Fair scheduling legislation […]

Home Health’s Main Appeal to Assisted Living Facilities

Although it’s often delivered in the private residences of older adults, home health care can also offer several benefits to assisted living providers, especially as their residents become older and more medically complex. In fact, by leveraging home health services, assisted living operators may be able to keep residents in their facilities longer. That’s according […]

Review Choice Demonstration Clears Hurdle, Likely Starting Soon

The Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) is likely right around the corner for Illinois home health providers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced March 4 it had received Paperwork Reduction Act approval for RCD from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Since OMB approval, the agency has been finalizing the […]

Primary Diagnosis Changes Among PDGM’s Most Overlooked Aspects

The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is just nine months from taking the home health care industry by storm. By now, operators should have started preparing for the sweeping adjustments on tap for 2020 — but taking the right steps at the right time is crucial to ensuring success. Among its high-level changes, PDGM removes perceived […]

NAHC’s Dombi: PDGM Discriminates Against Community Referrals, RCD Could Haunt Home Health Providers

With a slew of regulatory and legislative changes on the horizon — from the Patient-Driven Grouping Model (PDGM) to the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) — the home-based care industry is poised for massive transformation. Despite federal challenges, the industry’s outlook is more promising than ever, advocates believe. “The image that you have is so, so […]