Home Health & Hospice Week
Debt Deal Puts Threat Of Cuts On The Horizon
You could get an unwelcome Christmas present under newly enacted compromise. Home care providers have avoided Medicare payment rate cuts now, but they may see them very soon. Cutting home care payment rates and imposing copayments were ideas floated in the debt ceiling talks that have consumed Washington, D.C. in recent weeks. But now President Obama has signed a debt deal bill that avoids any Medicare provider cuts -- for the moment. Under the agreement enacted Aug. 2, the debt ceiling was raised in exchange for promised cuts to the U.S. budget -- including entitlement programs like Medicare -- later this year. If a 12- person bipartisan congressional committee can't come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts that Congress approves, a 2 percent across-the-board reduction would take effect. The 2 percent cut, on top of the 3 percent reduction already slated for 2012, would be painful. But larger cuts or copayments implemented by the congressional panel could be downright devastating, industry observers worry. The committee must file its recommendations by Thanksgiving, and Congress is required to vote on them by Dec. 23 with no amendments. If the committee's suggestions don't pass, then the acrossthe- board spending cuts would be triggered in 2013. News of the potential Medicare cuts hit health care provider stock prices, including those of home care companies. CRT Capital analyst Sheryl Skolnick said investors overreacted to the news, noting the cuts would be limited to 2 percent and "could have been much worse," according to the Wall Street Journal.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Reimbursement:
Hospice Payment Rates To Increase 2.5% In October
Plus: Soon you'll need to make your hospice cap calculation decision. Unlike home health agencies, [...] - Hospice:
Hospice Quality Reporting Starts In January
The two initially reported measures are just the beginning, CMS says. The hospice 2012 wage [...] - Regulations:
Know New Hospice F2F Ropes Or Risk Compliance, And Pay
CMS clarifies what to do when the face-to-face requirement isn't fulfilled. Complying with the hospice [...] - Fraud & Abuse:
Feds Turn Up The HEAT On Home Care Fraudsters
Four case studies show the newly expanded strike force is on the prowl. The rate [...] - Industry Note:
Debt Deal Puts Threat Of Cuts On The Horizon
You could get an unwelcome Christmas present under newly enacted compromise. Home care providers have [...] - Industry Note:
F2F Takes Its Toll Already
Face-to-face encounter requirements are hurting home health agencies' bottom lines, including those of publicly traded [...] - Industry Note:
In 2013, Hospitals To See Pay Cut For Readmissions
The proposal that would give hospitals an incentive to line up home care for their [...] - Industry Note:
New Enrollment Form Confuses Providers
When you need to fill out an 855A form for enrollment or revalidation, you'd be [...] - Industry Note:
Keep An Eagle Eye Out For DDE Access Letter
If you miss this important letter, you could get shut out of the Medicare claims [...] - Industry Note:
MAC: You're Responsible For Physician Documentation
Don't think you're off the hook for medical record submission if those records are at [...] - Industry Note:
Find New ICD-9 Code Titles With This Resource
If you're trying to get a handle on the new ICD-9 codes that take effect [...] - Industry Note:
Resolve Your Most Common Billing Errors With CGS Tool
Having a hard time figuring out why your Medicare claim got returned or rejected? Check [...] - Industry Note:
Now's The Time To Update Your Emergency Plan
You'd better put updating your emergency preparedness plan on your priority list if you live [...] - Industry Note:
Are You Meeting Both Therapy Reassessment Deadlines?
Don't think you can keep billing for therapy if you meet one therapy reassessment requirement, [...]
