Home Health & Hospice Week
Premiums, Deductibles To Creep Up Next Year
Medicare premiums and deductibles will rise on Jan. 1. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $135.50 for 2019, a slight increase from $134 in 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in a release. “An estimated 2 million Medicare beneficiaries (about 3.5 percent) will pay less than the full Part B standard monthly premium amount in 2019 due to the statutory hold harmless provision, which limits certain beneficiaries’ increase in their Part B premium to be no greater than the increase in their Social Security benefits,” CMS explains. The annual deductible for Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $185 in 2019, up from $183 this year. The Medicare Part A inpatient deductible beneficiaries will pay when admitted to the hospital is $1,364 in 2019, up $24 from this year. In contrast: “On average, Medicare Advantage premiums in 2019 are estimated to decrease by six percent to $28, from an average of $29.81 in 2018,” CMS says.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Emergency Preparedness:
Your Emergency Preparedness Duties Will Get Lighter Under Proposed Rule
Recent hurricanes emphasize why EP changes matter. Some actual regulatory relief might be forthcoming from [...] - Regulations:
EP Review, Education, Collaboration Could Ease Up
Emergency preparedness changes would save $143 million annually. Reducing home care and hospice providers’ training [...] - Hospice:
MCCM Participation Barriers Hamper Demo
One-quarter of demo hospice agencies have withdrawn. The findings of a new evaluation report on [...] - Demonstration Projects:
Know Your Facts MCCM Demonstration
Nearly 40 percent of demo enrollees also receive HHA services. Whether Medicare will move forward [...] - Mergers & Acquisitions:
Big Chains Make Big Acquisitions
Market consolidation continues, especially for the hospice sector. Amedisys Inc. will beef up its hospice [...] - Industry Note:
Don't Miss Medicare's Free OASIS-D Training
Are you ready for new OASIS sections in the New Year? Now’s the time to [...] - Industry Note:
RAP Relief Included In Hurricane Michael Response
Home care and hospice providers hit hard by Hurricane Michael are getting some regulatory relief [...] - Industry Note:
Late Files Lead To This Claim Suspension
You shouldn’t have to wait long for a resolution if your claims are hung up [...] - Industry Note:
Premiums, Deductibles To Creep Up Next Year
Medicare premiums and deductibles will rise on Jan. 1. The standard monthly premium for Medicare [...] - Industry Note:
Regional Health Systems Split Up Joint HHA
What three regional health systems joined together, they are now putting asunder. Penn Medicine Lancaster [...] - Industry Note:
Another Hospice Owner Pleads Guilty To Fraud
A Mississippi hospice owner has pleaded guilty to Medicare fraud in a $13 million scheme. [...] - Industry Note:
Issuance Of New Medicare Cards Almost Complete
Medicare has started mailing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries who live in Wave 7 states [...]
