Home Health & Hospice Week

Tip: Gather your PS&R info as quickly as you can.

The hospice cap self-reporting deadline is rushing up — even though it’s a little later than you may be used to this year.

Why? Usually, the cap reporting deadline is Feb. 28. But since this year is a leap year, it would be Feb. 29. However, “due to 2/29/20 falling on a Saturday, the 2019 Self-Determined Caps are due no later than March 2, 2020,” explains HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor CGS in a message to providers.

Remember, “providers will be required to obtain their own PS&R data in order to complete the Self-Determined Hospice Cap report,” MAC Palmetto GBA stresses on its website. “If you do not have access to the EIDM system, you should register now.”

Do this ASAP: Now that Jan. 1 has passed, you should secure beneficiary counts and payments for the cap ending Sept. 30, 2019, as soon as possible, advises The Health Group in Morgantown, West Virginia. “Securing the data early minimizes any interim liability that may be due on or before February 29, 2020,” the consulting firm explains in its electronic newsletter.

Heed these tips on submitting your cap information:

• “Only send the signed form,” Palmetto tells hospices. “Supporting documentation is not needed.”
• If the completed form is not filed timely, a past due letter will be sent within seven days and payments will be suspended, Palmetto explains.
• You can request a “50 percent payment suspension” if you have a valid reason for not filing the form on time, Palmetto says. To obtain the partial relief, submit a written request prior to the due date.
• Submit a check with your cap report if you have computed an overpayment, Palmetto instructs. If you are asking for an Extended Repayment Schedule, the check can be for the first month’s amount. If you fail to submit a check, “payments will be withheld until the reported amount is recouped,” Palmetto explains.
• When requesting an ERS, you should submit supporting documentation including “balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and statements of source and application funds,” Palmetto instructs. You must also include “a copy of the check sent in as the first payment of the proposed repayment schedule.”