Home Health & Hospice Week
HHAs Fight Rebasing Cuts, Copays
Home health agencies are getting help from their friends in Congress in their effort to repeal rebasing cuts. Reps. Ralph Hall (R-Texas), Tom Price (R-Ga.), David McKinley (R-W.Va.) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urging Congress to postpone the Final Rule on rebasing and require CMS to re-evaluate the rule, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice reports.
They may need all the help they can get as Congress looks to fix physicians’ reimbursement rate problems in Medicare. Sources for funding the Sustainable Growth Rate formula fix include home health copays, experts believe. "Home health and hospice payments have been cut to the bone already and the imposition of copayments on beneficiaries would seriously impair access to the home health and hospice benefits," NAHC protests.
Whether new leadership for the Senate Finance Committee helps home care providers’ chances remain to be seen. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has succeeded Max Baucus (D-Mont.) as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "Sen-ator Wyden has long been a strong ally of home care and hospice," NAHC maintains. "Senator Wyden’s past statements and actions on behalf of home care and hospice are encouraging as he takes over one of the Senate’s most powerful committees."
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Fraud & Abuse:
Beware New Sanctions For Problem Providers
CMPs, exclusion could be in store for agencies that don’t show improvement. If your MAC [...] - Compliance:
These Factors Could Make Or Break Potentially Recalcitrant Providers
Your appeals success rate may save your bacon. If your MAC and CMS agree that [...] - Reader Question:
Don't Be Overly Strict With Collecting Physician Orders
Lighten your load with this reader Q&A. Question: I have a question on how to [...] - Reimbursement:
Providers Get A HETS Breather
CMS scrambles to get hospice functionality in place for new inquiry system. You won’t have [...] - Education:
Get Training On Compliance, Face-To-Face Requirements
Also, check out Eli audioconferences on hospice diagnosis coding and OASIS-C1 changes. You can receive [...] - Industry Notes:
Autodenials For Related Claims May Spell Trouble
How ‘related’ are your claims? Financial implications for your denials may get much steeper, thanks [...] - Industry Note:
CMS Presses 'Pause' On RAC Reviews
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has removed home health agencies from Recovery Audit [...] - Industry Note:
HHAs Fight Rebasing Cuts, Copays
Home health agencies are getting help from their friends in Congress in their effort to [...] - Industry Note:
Guide Dual Eligibles With Their ABN Selections
Home health agencies now have further guidance on completing ABNs for patients dually eligible for [...] - Industry Note:
CMS Pulls Back Hospital Billing CR For Hospice Diagnosis
Stay tuned for new instructions regarding hospital billing for hospice patients. Last No-vember, CMS said [...] - Industry Note:
CMS Makes Nationwide DME Bidding Plans
If you haven’t felt the impact of Durable Medical Equipment competitive bidding, your time will [...] - Industry Note:
Under Pressure, Amedisys CEO And Founder Steps Down
Rocky financial times for a national chain have led to its CEO’s resignation. Baton Rouge, [...] - Industry Note:
Authorities Bust Home Care Fraud Ring in DC
A Medicaid home care fraud investigation in Washington, D.C. has led to the arrests of [...] - Industry Note:
Hospice Chain Closes After Co-Owner Charged With Fraud
Passages Hospice said it would continue to operate after co-owner Seth Gillman was charged with [...]
