Home Health & Hospice Week

Hospices confused about the Value-Based Insurance Design hospice carve-in for certain Medicare Advantage plans may get some clarifying information soon.

Recap: Beginning last January, through the VBID Model, participating Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) could include the Medicare hospice benefit in their benefits package, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services notes in Dec. 16 Change Request 12524.

“CMS requires participating MAOs to communicate with hospice providers in the service area of their participating plans,” CMS says in the CR. The transmittal “details the requirements of a direct mailing to hospice providers; to raise general awareness of the hospice benefit component and provide education on participation and billing for Medicare Advantage enrollees that receive services in affected areas.”

Reminder: “The CY 2022 service areas are in 21 states and one territory: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Puerto Rico,” CMS notes in the CR.

“In addition to this specific direct outreach, the [HHH Medicare Administrative Contractors] have also been directed to conduct education for hospice providers about the CY2022 MA VBID Hospice Benefit Component,” the National Association for Home Care & Hospice says in its member newsletter.

The six-page CR is at www.cms.gov/files/document/r11160otn.pdf.