2019 Final Rule – Changes for Hospice Providers
In the Final Rule released and now in effect, CMS had some notable concerns about hospice providers which will be the subject of increased scrutiny. As time goes on, hospices …
2019 Final Rule … Big Changes Coming
The 2019 Final Rule for Home Health is here and there are some exciting changes along with some changes that may not be quite so welcome. CMS’ plan for 2019 …
Managing Your Hospice with Metrics and Data
Hospices, like all other providers, are continually working with information and data. It’s entered into databases, on forms, and saved throughout the organization in reports. But that information is not …
Being Prepared for PDGM: A Closer Look at the Changes
Home health agencies need to start preparing for the biggest shift in reimbursement since the introduction of PPS in the late 90s. The Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is going …
What We Hear
The coming changes to hospice in 2019 are going to be generally a good thing! However, the recent report from OIG casts some shadows on providers as more compliance and …
OIG Report Blasts Hospice & CMS Oversight
A recently released OIG report blasts hospices and CMS for lack of oversight. The report detailed multiple instances, totaling 16 different areas, in which CMS and providers failed to comply …
Does Your Agency Provide Private Duty/Personal Care?
Is your agency or an affiliated entity providing private duty, private pay or personal care services to the same market you provide skilled services? If not, you could be losing …
CMS Reminder on Election Statements
CMS is reminding hospice providers that it will continue to look at General Inpatient (GIP) and the NOE for hospice care. The OIG has been reviewing data on GIP and …
OIG Alert: Medicare Services during Hospice Election
CMS’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) is looking at patients who receive hospice and also receive other Medicare services. The OIG announced as part of the continuing work to ensure …
Humana as a Hospice Provider
Humana has been on an aggressive streak lately to acquire some of the largest hospice providers in the nation on top of acquiring a home health chain. But why? It’s …