Home Health & Hospice Week

Surveys may fall behind due to impasse in Congress.

Your Medicare payments shouldn’t be affected by the government shut-down — but fraud-fighting activities might.

"During the time that the partial government shutdown is in effect, Medicare Administrative Contractors will continue to perform all functions related to Medicare fee-for-service claims processing and payment," assures the Centers for Medi-care & Medicaid Services in an e-mail message to providers. The HHH Medicare Administrative Con-tractors followed up with similar messages on their listservs.

The first government shutdown since 1996 was on day 3 at press time, with a "minimal" effect on home care and hospice agencies, according to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. That’s because "Medicare and Medicaid are entitlement programs that are deemed ‘mandatory spending’ and therefore not part of the government’s discretionary spending negotiations," NAHC notes.

The Department of Health and Human Services, of which CMS is a part, is furloughing over half its workforce, however, the trade group points out. That "could have an affect on programs and services that aren’t mandatory, essential, or deemed to be top priorities," NAHC says.

For example: In a summary of its shutdown plan, HHS notes that "CMS would be unable to continue discretionary funding for health care fraud and abuse strike force teams resulting in the cessation of their operations."

Surveys also would be affected. "Fewer recertification and initial surveys for Medicare and Medicaid providers would be completed, putting beneficiaries at risk of quality of care deficiencies," HHS says in the document.

Ahead: Don’t be surprised to see the shutdown drag on, reports The Washington Post. A portion of Republicans are digging in in opposition to so-called Obamacare and Democrats are happy to let the stalemate go on as Republicans get the majority of the blame for the shutdown.