Early Errors and Therapy Turmoil: Home Health Insiders Weigh In on PDGM’s Arrival

The long-awaited Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is finally here, marking the biggest home health reimbursement overhaul in two decades. PDGM officially launched on Jan. 1 after originally being proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2018. With changes to billing periods, therapy reimbursement and LUPAs, it’s the most significant shift […]

Home Health Executive Forecast: 2020 Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

From the monumental Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the unexpected pre-payment phaseout to the expanding Review Choice Demonstration (RCD), 2019 was a whirlwind year for the home health industry. Those three regulatory hurdles — and other changes — likely set up an even more chaotic year in 2020. Home health industry insiders and top executives […]

National Home Health Spending Hits Record $102.2 Billion — With Room for Growth

National home health spending soared to new heights in 2018, a fact that strongly reflects the ongoing shift toward home- and community-based care and away from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and other institutional settings. Overall, U.S. home health spending officially hit $102.2 billion in 2018, according to a new analysis from the Centers for […]

Where PDGM’s Therapy Changes Will Hit Hardest

By eliminating visit-volume thresholds and tying reimbursement more closely to need, the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) will likely steer the home health care industry away from therapy and toward nursing. Although PDGM officially starts on Jan. 1, home health providers have already begun to shift their therapy utilization strategies to better line up with the […]

Presidential Candidate Buttigieg Proposes Increasing In-Home Care Access for Seniors

Democratic presidential hopeful and South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, unveiled his plans to provide older adults access to long-term care, including in-home care, on Monday. For now, it’s unclear how much Buttigieg’s plan will cost. The candidate released a set of policy proposals — Dignity and Security in Retirement — that aims to lessen […]

Despite $5.32B Decrease, CMS Likely to Keep Foot on Improper Payments Gas Pedal

The Medicare fee-for-service improper payment rate has fallen once again, thanks largely to the cleaner paperwork and ongoing compliance efforts of U.S. home health providers. Despite clear and steady progress in bringing improper payment rates down, though, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is unlikely to relax its oversight anytime soon, industry leaders […]

Home Health Turnover Worsens in 2019

Home health turnover rates worsened slightly in 2019 compared to the prior year. Most salaries, however, saw a slight bump. That’s according to the latest Home Care Salary & Benefits Report from the Oakland, New Jersey-based Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service, which provides salary and benefits studies along with custom marketplace studies, for the health […]