Home Health & Hospice Week
Follow These 4 Tips To Counter Future PDGM Rate Cuts
How clean is your data? What can home health agencies do with the threat of massive cuts due to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model ever present on the horizon? Here are some ideas from the experts: 1. Step up advocacy efforts. “The industry needs to be taking action now to cut [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] off at the pass,” advises attorney Robert Markette Jr. with Hall Render in Indianapolis. “It may take legislation to avoid CMS implementing a one-time cut in 2026 to make up for all of the partial adjustments they have not implemented. It would be nice if we could get Congress to step in to prevent that,” Markette says. “We don’t need to let up now,” exhorts Angela Huff with FORVIS in Springfield, Mo. “The value of home care has been demonstrated and is the way of the future; however, continued advocacy will be needed as we move forward with rising costs, [Value-Based Purchasing] implications and shifts in the space,” Huff emphasizes. 2. Trim the fat — again. For most HHAs, “the financial reality is the increase in the rate doesn’t keep pace with its projected/actual increased costs,” observes reimbursement expert M. Aaron Little, also with FORVIS. “Therefore, agencies must continue to evaluate operations to identify opportunities for improved cost management,” Little recommends. 3. Focus on Value-Based Purchasing. Your VBP performance next year can bump up your pay rate by as much as 5 percent, Little points out. In light of that potential, “agencies should continue to closely manage VBP performance,” he recommends. “Agencies need to stay focused on the current VBP requirements for 2024 and also start planning for the changes that well take effect Jan.1, 2025,” Huff specifies. In the 2024 final rule, CMS changes the model baseline year to 2023 and swaps out quality measures in the final rule (see HHHW by AAPC, Vol. XXXII, No. 39-40 for VBP details). 4. Knuckle down to produce complete and accurate data. “Revenue follows the accuracy. Outcomes follow the accuracy,” Home Care Answers stresses.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Patient-Driven Groupings Model:
2024 Final HH Rule Clears The Path For Further PDGM Cuts
This year’s reimbursement relief, inadequate as it is, may not last long, experts predict. Home [...] - Reimbursement:
Follow These 4 Tips To Counter Future PDGM Rate Cuts
How clean is your data? What can home health agencies do with the threat of [...] - Hospice:
Hospices Are Off The Hook For MHC, MFT Interdisciplinary Group Members — Mostly
Keep an eye peeled for interpretive guidance on the topic. Hospices have caught a much [...] - Kickbacks:
Now’s The Time To Lay the Groundwork For Holiday Gifting Compliance
Prepare now, before the full holiday rush hits. With Halloween in the rearview mirror and [...] - Compliance:
Take These 6 Steps To Protect Yourself Against Gifting Violations
Don’t let common gift-giving practices get you into hot water. Reduce your risk during the [...] - Coverage:
MedPAC Puts Hospice Under The Microscope
Nonhospice spending gets another go-round. Hospices may feel they’ve been examined six ways to Sunday [...] - Industry Notes:
Review Choice Demo Contractor To Become Quicker On The Draw With PCR Resubmissions
Start date for sixth state is almost here. As the Review Choice Demonstration expands, one [...] - Industry Notes:
Tune In To Forthcoming Webinar To Hear CMS Review Hospice Provisions Of Home Health Final Rule
If you have questions about the hospice provisions in the 2024 home health final rule, [...] - Industry Notes:
HHAs Will Become Responsible For Covering This Wound Supplies Code In The New Year
Add one more code to the home health bundling list, starting Jan. 1. A9272 (Wound [...] - Industry Notes:
Assessments, Quality Improvement Focus Of New VBP Tools
A couple of new Value-Based Purchasing educational tools may help you boost your performance, right [...]
