Home Health & Hospice Week

The HHS Office for Civil Rights and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have issued a final rule “advancing protections against discrimination in health care,” the agencies say in a release.

The rule scheduled for publication in the May 6 Federal Register addresses some home care concerns. For example, it states that “where an in-the-home restriction is included in a statute, covered entities may not automatically deny coverage for any good or service that may also have use outside of the home, but must assess each claim to determine whether the denial will violate the most integrated setting requirement.”

The rule tackles a wide range of topics, including Artificial Intelligence usage in healthcare, LGBTQI+ protections, religious protections, and more. See the 558-page rule at https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-08711.pdf.

The rule “is another important step toward our goal of health equity,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure says in a release about the regulation.