Home Health & Hospice Week
Industry Note:
MedPAC Wants A Rate Freeze For Hospices In 2015
Published on Fri Jan 03, 2014
Hospices have often gotten a pass from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission — but not anymore. In its Dec. 12, 2013 meeting, MedPAC voiced approval for hospice payment recommendations that would cut Medicare rates in future years.
MedPAC calculated a Medicare margin of 8.7 percent in 2011, and expects hospices to have a 7.8 percent margin in 2014, staffer Kim Neuman said in the meeting.
But despite that drop, MedPAC plans to suggest a 0 percent inflation update for hospice rates in 2015. And as discussed in its November meeting, MedPAC plans to push Medicare to include hospice in its Medicare Advantage program (see Eli’s HCW, Vol. XXII, No. 41).
Other Articles in this issue of
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Reimbursement:
PECOS Edits Are Upon You
Edits are based on Jan. 6 ‘From’ dates. You may have some extra weeks before [...] - Edits:
Ready Your PECOS Response Plan
Be prepared to turn away referrals from noncompliant physicians. Hopefully the vast majority of your [...] - Documentation:
Focus On These 7 Qualities To Boost Documentation
Support medical necessity, codes or risk denials. You already know that when the clinical record [...] - OASIS:
Watch for Under-Documented OASIS, Billing Areas
Be sure your documentation backs up your OASIS responses and resulting claims, especially with these [...] - Patient Privacy:
Implement An Information Security Management Process Before It's Too Late
Tip: Run your data security like a business. With so many reimbursement and regulatory changes [...] - HIPAA:
Get Expert Help For Your Security Policy
Follow the right framework to create and update your policy. As you wade through the [...] - HIPAA:
Follow This HIPAA Security Process Checklist
As you’re preparing your information security management process, keep this checklist from Jim Sheldon-Dean of [...] - Industry Note:
MedPAC Lobbies For Lower Home Health Payment Rates
Advisory body pushes home health copayment once again. Declining utilization and profit margins aren’t enough [...] - Industry Note:
MedPAC Wants A Rate Freeze For Hospices In 2015
Hospices have often gotten a pass from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission — but not [...] - Industry Note:
OIG Calls For More Home Health Cuts
Add the HHS Office of Inspector Gene-ral to the list of organizations that want lower [...] - Industry Note:
Newspaper Exposé Slams For-Profit Hospices For Long-Stay, Ineligible Patients
Expect hospice payment reform to get on an even faster track, thanks to a high-profile [...] - Industry Note:
Comment On Hospice Drug Coverage Guidance ASAP
If you were slammed by the holidays and didn’t have time to comment on Medicare’s [...]
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