Home Health & Hospice Week
PLAN NOW TO KEEP NEXT YEAR'S BILLING ON TRACK
Big changes in hospice billing are on their way, Jan. 1--but you could get a break if industry representatives are successful in securing a requested delay.
At a Sept. 12 meeting, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice met with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to discuss Change Request 5567, the missive that spells out the new hospice Medicare billing requirements.
Results: CMS has promised to respond to questions submitted by hospices on a rolling basis, posting their answers on the CMS Web site.
Among NAHC's concerns are CMS' insertion of the word "medically" in the phrase "reasonable and necessary" and the need for a count of all direct contracts with patients in an inpatient facility.
Low-tech trouble: Another concern is that as many as 50 percent of hospices are small entities that aren't computerized--a reality that presents a major stumbling block to compliance.
Double whammy: NAHC reminded federal officials that many hospice providers are also home health agencies faced with a Jan. 1 deadline for the home health prospective payment system changes.
Hospices are asking CMS to delay full implementation of the billing changes, opting instead for pilot test involving a small number of volunteer hospices.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Prospective Payment System:
DON'T LET PAYMENT CHANGES TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE
Get ready for a totally revamped reimbursement process starting Jan. 1.
Big money changes are coming [...] - Reimbursement:
FIND YOUR NEW PAYMENT CATEGORIES WITH THIS CHART
More steps may mean more equitable reimbursement.
To get started calculating your payments under the new [...] - Prospective Payment System Tool:
CALCULATE YOUR PPS PAYMENTS -- HERE'S HOW
Here's an example from Mark Sharp of BKD in Springfield, MO of how you should [...] - Quality Improvement:
MAKE QUALITY YOUR BUSINESS -- OR PAY THE PRICE
The buck stops with the board of directors, study says.
You have a new reason to [...] - Compliance:
ASK THESE 3 QUESTIONS TO KEEP QI ON TRACK
Small players aren't exempt from this task.
Oversight and more oversight: That's the role that health [...] - Hospice:
PLAN NOW TO KEEP NEXT YEAR'S BILLING ON TRACK
Delay is possible, but don't count on it.
Big changes in hospice billing are on their [...] - WE NEED YOUR HELP -- LAST CHANCE!
We need your input to be sure each issue of Eli's Home Care Week continues [...] - Education:
MASTER THE PPS FINAL RULE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE
Register for these audioconferences on PPS refinements, therapy and billing.
• “The [...] - Industry Notes:
KEEP WATCH FOR THE NEXT BUDGET THREAT
One assault down, probably more to go.
Home care providers heaved a sigh of relief when [...]
