Eli's Hospice Insider

On their way out the door, Trump administration officials released a report outlining their triumphs at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services over the last four years.

Titled “Putting Patients First: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Record of Accomplishment from 2017-2020,” the report outlines home health topics including occupational therapists being able to perform initial assessments on certain patients; nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants being allowed to order home health services, establish and review the plan of care for home health patients, and certify patients; home health agencies being able to administer monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19; and more.

CMS also celebrates Targeted Probe and Educate medical review as resulting “in a significant $5.32 billion decrease in estimated improper payments from FY 2016 to FY 2019. This dramatic reduction in error rate marks the fifth year in a row of such reductions, and the first time in 10 years where the rate has dipped below percent,” the report touts. The Review Choice Demonstration is also on CMS’ list of home health accomplishments.

On the hospice side, CMS lists relaxed supervision and training requirements for aides; allowing telehealth visits; rebasing (raising) continuous home care (CHC), general inpatient care (GIP), and inpatient respite care (IRC) per diem payment rates “in a budget-neutral manner through a small reduction to the routine home care (RHC) rates;” election statement changes and the election statement addendum; and the VBID managed care carve-in of hospice as accomplishments.

The 138-page report is online at www.cms.gov/files/document/2020-eoy-accomplishments-fact-sheet.pdf.