Home Health & Hospice Week

Hearing more from patients regarding the No Surprises Act shouldn’t take you unawares.

Recap: “The No Surprises Act protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services explains in a release.

“To help consumers understand their rights, consumer-friendly web pages are now available for people with easy-to-read information and actionable guidance,” CMS says.

Home health and hospice agencies have been a little confused about how the legislation applies to them. “Since most discussions and regulatory actions have been around the balance billing provisions of the No Surprise Billing Act, there has been a great deal of confusion for providers that are not inpatient hospitals, emergency rooms, or air ambulances,” notes the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.

Based on a Frequently Asked Question set CMS issued in April 2022, NAHC recommended that home health and hospice agencies comply with three provisions of the law:

The Good Faith Estimate for uninsured or self- pay patients; Continuity of care; and Provider Directory. “In the FAQs, HHS does not specifically state which providers must comply with the varying provisions of the Act, the application of the requirements seems to be defined by provider actions,” the trade group noted.

Get more details on the CMS No Surprises Act provider page at www.cms.gov/nosurprises/policies-and-resources/ provider-requirements-and-resources.