by Tim Rowan | May 22, 2024 | Admin, CMS, Regulatory
by Tim Rowan, Editor Emeritus For the last time, NAHC President Bill Dombi is spending another Spring on airplanes. It is state association meeting season, and the Bill Dombi Spring Tour has been bringing his regular Capitol Hill update from coast to coast, this time...
by Kristin Rowan | Apr 26, 2024 | CMS, Recruitment & Retention, Regulatory
by Kristin Rowan, Editor The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule, more commonly known as the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 finalized rule requires at least 80% of Medicaid payments for home...
by Rowan Report | Apr 26, 2024 | CMS, Medicare Advantage, Regulatory
By Beth Noyce, RN, BSJMC, BCHH-C, COQS CHAP-certified home health & hospice consultant This is part 3 of the 3 in the series, outlining the discussions and implications in adopting new outcome and process measures for Hospice care. The final segment addresses...
by Rowan Report | Apr 18, 2024 | Clinical, CMS, Regulatory
by Beth Noyce, RN, BSJMC, HCS-C, BCHH-C, COQS CHAP-certified home health & hospice consultant Process Measures The outcome measures being considered look at effectiveness of hospice clinical efforts to decrease pain and other symptoms. The process measures paired...
by Kristin Rowan | Apr 11, 2024 | Admin, CMS, Regulatory
by Kristin Rowan, Editor For a few weeks now, we have been covering the Change Healthcare cyberattack by ALPHV/BlackCat and the subsequent updates from CMS. Pharmacy and medical orders have been delayed, providers and patients are suffering, and CMS has issued...
by Rowan Report | Apr 11, 2024 | Clinical, CMS, Regulatory
By Beth Noyce, RN, BSJMC, HCS-C, BCHH-C, COQS Home health & hospice consultant The Hospice Outcome Patient Evaluation is a step closer to implementation. After four years of considering options, the Technical Expert Panel (TEP) has finished its work that will...
by Kristin Rowan | Apr 4, 2024 | CMS, Regulatory
By Kristin Rowan, Editor On March 28, CMS issued a new proposed rule to update Medicare hospice payments. Here’s what we know. The new proposed rule: Would change the existing hospice wage index Clarifies current policy related to the hospice “eletion...
by Kristin Rowan | Mar 20, 2024 | CMS, Regulatory
By Kristin Rowan, Editor In December, 2023, The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) recommended a 22% payment reduction for hospice providers. This week, they’ve recommended additional cuts once again. MedPAC has just released the March, 2024 Medicare...
by Kristin Rowan | Mar 20, 2024 | CMS, Vendor Watch
From the NAHC News Desk, March 19, 2024 On March 15th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Center Informational Bulletin (CIB) that provides guidance and flexibilities to mitigate the impacts on providers resulting from the Change...
by Tim Rowan | Mar 20, 2024 | CMS, Editorial
by Tim Rowan, Editor Emeritus This week, we look at the state of the healthcare industry, vis a vis payers that do not pay. While Home Health and Hospice leaders talk at every gathering about refusing to accept Medicare Advantage clients, some large Integrated...
