New Medicare Payment Model Looms Over Home Health Providers

Home health agencies should be prepared for a major unwelcome surprise that could hit in the near future—a comprehensive, complex overhaul of the Medicare payment system. When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes its 2018 payment rates, likely within the next several weeks, the agency could also seek to establish a new payment […]

Monday Briefing: Tom Price Confirmed as Secretary of HHS

In the wee hours of Friday morning, after an all night session, the Senate confirmed Rep. Tom Price M.D (R-GA) as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Several industry organizations like the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare and the American Health Care Association (AHCA)/ National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) are […]

Senate Bill Would Extend Independence at Home Demonstration

A pilot program that incentivizes the delivery of home-based health care for chronically ill patients may be extended if newly introduced legislation passes. The Senate Finance Committee Chronic Care Working Group introduced the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2016 (S. 3504) on Dec. 6. The bipartisan legislation, among other […]

Majority of U.S. Seniors Against Pre-Claim Review

The start of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) pre-claim review demonstration has drawn harsh criticism from many stakeholders in the home health care industry. Now, they may be able to say that seniors themselves don’t like the initiative, either. Bring Home the Vote, which sponsored the poll, is a national initiative that […]

Home Health Agencies Grapple With Prior Authorization Rule

Home health providers and associations were quick to denounce a preauthorization requirement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed it will move forward with its formerly announced plans. Across the board, industry officials expressed disappointment and concern with the CMS plans for prior authorization, now deemed the Pre-Claim Review Demonstration for Home […]

Lawmakers Take Stand Against Home Health Prior Authorization

Mounting backlash against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed home health preauthorization rule is coming from a fresh source—lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. A bipartisan group of 116 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives penned a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Andrew Slavitt and Department of Health and Human Services […]

Business Briefs: Addus Enters Virginia, Brightree’s Scotland Office

Addus HomeCare Enters Virginia Through Acquisition of BestCare HomeCare Addus HomeCare Corporation (NASDAQ: ADUS), a comprehensive provider of home and community-based services that are mainly provided in the home, personal in nature and concentrated on the dual eligible population, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of the personal care business of Five […]

Home Health, Skilled Nursing At Odds Over Medicare Payment Reform

Home health leaders at a recent Congressional hearing voiced strong support of proposed legislation to revamp the Medicare post-acute payment system, but the role of care coordinators emerged as a sticking point for other provider types and some lawmakers. Patient-centered care coordination is essential to improving post-acute care and should be a centerpiece of payment […]

[Update] Home Health Leaders Applaud Permanent Medicare Doc Fix

Legislation to replace Medicare’s controversial Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) now has been signed into law. While some concerns regarding reimbursements linger, the home health community largely commends Congress. The bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act legislation to repeal the long-standing SGR, colloquially known as the “doc fix,” was signed Thursday by President Barack Obama, following […]