Latest News
The most recent news, announcements, and regulatory updates for home health, hospice, and supportive care at home
Telemedicine Rules from DEA
by Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.On January 16, 2025, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced three new rules to make permanent some temporary flexibilities for telemedicine established during the COVID-19 public health...
Medicare Advantage Increase for Payers, not Providers
by Kristin Rowan, EditorOn January 13, 2025, CMS announced its plans to increase payments to Medicare Advantage plans by 4.33%. Policy changes for Medicare Advantage and Part D include changes in how the agency calculates payments to health plans....
Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare to Cease Operation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContacts: Elyssa Katz571-281-0220Thomas Threlkeld202-547-7424communications@allianceforcareathome.orgWASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 17, 2025. The Board of Directors of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH)...
Product Review: Plan-of-Care Documentation
by Kristin Rowan, EditorRegulatory requirements for home health quality assurance are designed to monitor and improve quality of care. QA focuses on ensuring that patients get safe, effective, compassionate care that meets their individual needs....
GUIDE Model Expanding
by Kristin Rowan, EditorOn July 1, 204, CMS launched the GUIDE Model and announced that 390 organizations had signed on to participate. The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model is a voluntary model test amied at supporting people...
Direct From the Front Lines
by Andrew Pagsisihan, COO, AllCare ProviderDirect from the front lines, a California agency owner talks about the experiences and challenges of providing care at home during the devastating California Wildfires.As unprecedented wildfires ravage Los...
Care at Home Coming to Medicaid?
by Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.In Olmstead v. L.C., the U.S. Supreme Court decided that unjustified segregation of disabled persons constitutes discrimination in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Court said that public...
AI and Communication in Healthcare
An exerpt of "How AI is Enhancing Healthcare Communication" by Sandeep Shah, Founder and CEO, Skyscape Edited by Kristin RowanArtificial intelligence isn't a new concept. In the healthcare industry alone, AI has been used to some degree since the...
Whistleblower Case Impedes Lawsuits
by Kristin Rowan, EditorA United States District Court in Tampa, Florida ruled against a whistleblower action under the False Claims Act (FCA) against her former employer. In 2019, a family care physician filed a whistleblower, or qui tam, action...
VitalCaring Pulls Agreement
by Kristin Rowan, EditorJust as we were setting the article on UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys for publication, we received the following breaking news story:VitalCaring entered into the agreement on June 28, 2024, just after the merger...
Congress Allows Medicare Advantage to Deny Coverage
by Kristin Rowan, EditorThe 118th United States Congress, ran from January 3, 2023 to January 3, 2025. This Congress's first law was passed on March 20, 2023, much later than most previous congressional sessions. In its first year, it passed only...
Good News for Veterans and Care at Home
by Kristin Rowan, EditorWith only a short number of days left in office, President Joe Biden has been making headlines. Not all of his final decisions have been met with absolute approval, but his latest one will make a difference for our veterans...
Proposal to Update HIPAA Security Rule
by Paul F. Schmeltzer and John F. Howard, Clark Hill PLCOn Dec. 27, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued proposed updates to the HIPAA Security Rule to address evolving cybersecurity threats in healthcare. Introduced through a...
UnitedHealth Group Amedisys Merger Faces Further Delays
by Kristin Rowan, EditorThe UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys merger has been an ongoing story since the initial merger agreement was signed in June of 2023. The proposed merger came under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the...
