Home Health & Hospice Week
Make Use Of Regulatory Flexibilities In Hurricane Ida's Wake
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the Department of Health and Human Services has declared public health emergencies in four states. In the first of the two determinations, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a PHE in Louisiana and Mississippi on Aug. 28 with an effective date retroactive to Aug. 26. For New Jersey and New York, the PHE has an effective date of Sept. 1. “Hurricane Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous storm and is carving a path of destruction that poses a significant threat to health and safety,” Secretary Becerra said in an Aug. 30 release after declaring the first PHE. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice has canceled its annual meeting in New Orleans, which was set to take place Oct. 3-5. “The devastation caused by Hurricane Ida made it impossible for us to assure our attendees they would enjoy a safe and productive conference,” NAHC President Bill Dombi said in the trade group’s member newsletter. NAHC urges donations to the HomeCare Association of Louisiana’s Home Care Recovery fund at www.gofundme.com/f/homecare-recovery-fund. The Hurricane Ida PHEs join two already existing PHEs for the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis. The HHS Office for Civil Rights also has issued Hurricane Ida guidance on HIPAA, reminding that during a PHE HHS does have the authority to waive certain sanctions and penalties for covered entities (CEs) with 1135 waivers. The PHE declarations are at www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/default.aspx.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Reimbursement:
Use New MAC Instructions To Navigate NOAs For Periods Spanning Jan. 1
Plus: Take note of this NOA billing change. Get ready to say goodbye to RAPs [...] - Billing:
Follow 2 Crucial Tips To Avoid Catastrophic Financial Hits With NOAs
Beware these NOA pitfalls. Home health agencies have known about Notices of Admission for quite [...] - Hospice:
Take These 7 Steps To Protect Your Hospice When New Survey Requirements Hit
It’s time to put your money where your surveys are. New hospice survey procedures ranging [...] - Medical Review:
More HHA MACs Announce TPE Resumption
CMS should rethink bringing back this medical review program, industry reps urge. What’s the last [...] - TPE:
Here Are The Topics Your MAC Is Targeting Under TPE
Long LOS may flag your claims for TPE review. While operational details are still somewhat [...] - Industry Notes:
Home Care Agency Forks Over $235K To Settle Aide Overtime Dispute
Paying aides as independent contractors didn’t fly for this Georgia provider. Make sure you’re classifying [...] - Industry Notes:
Make Use Of Regulatory Flexibilities In Hurricane Ida's Wake
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, the Department of Health and Human Services has declared [...] - Industry Notes:
Revalidations And Other Enrollment Tasks Are Back In A Few Short Weeks
Get ready for some Medicare enrollment-related duties to make a comeback in October. The Centers [...] - Industry Notes:
Beware Problem Correcting Certain Institutional Category HH Claims
Watch out for a newly reported claims glitch that could be costing you your rightful [...] - Industry Notes:
Medicare Issues New Billing Instructions For RHC/FQHC Hospice Attendings
Don’t miss hospice attending billing instructions for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health [...]
