Don’t expect the feds to ease up on hospices any time soon. In its latest “Top Management & Performance Challenges” report, the HHS Office of Inspector General highlights hospice fraud concerns.
The OIG cites “insufficient monitoring of hospice service use, as well as inadequate oversight of hospice certification surveys and hospice-worker licensure requirements” as top problems.
The OIG lauds hospice fraud-fighting measures including ramping up hospice quality reporting and starting work on hospice payment reform. It also praises the IMPACT Act’s new requirements that Medicare survey hospices at least every three years and increase medical review of hospices with long-stay patients.
Resource: See the report at http://go.usa.gov/sNTF.