Home Health Line Breaking News
09/10/2012

To the extent that party platforms actually influence candidates once they’re elected, the Republican and Democratic platforms for 2012 both have good things to say about home care.

The GOP platform is more specific, asserting that “because seniors overwhelmingly desire to age at home, we will make home care a priority in public policy.”

09/04/2012

Although Congress is scheduled to reconvene Sept. 10, don’t expect any immediate clarity about plans for dodging sequestration – which would clip Medicare provider reimbursement 2% in 2013.

The only Medicare element on the agenda is possible relief from the steep drop in physician payments scheduled for Jan. 1, 2013.

08/30/2012

CMS has made a major step on the way to leaving behind its current “pay and chase” approach to dealing with fraudulent claims, according to a new transmittal.

A new edit will deny claims that fail certain criteria on a prepay basis.

08/24/2012

(Updated at 2:20pm on Aug. 27)

CMS today posted a rule in the Federal Register that finalizes the proposed one-year delay for the ICD-10 code set.

Update: Read about the ICD-10 options CMS considered before publishing the rule.

08/20/2012

If your agency serves patients in a group home, employees there may complete the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HH-CAHPS) survey for patients under certain circumstances, CMS contractor RTI International has clarified.

08/15/2012

If you’re thinking about partnering with other providers in a pay-for-performance (P4P) project, consider the impact on outcomes and any unintended negative consequences of financial incentives, suggests an analysis and editorial published in the Aug. 15 issue of peer-reviewed medical journal BMJ.

08/13/2012

A tragic house fire in Kansas drives home the importance of making sure caregivers are always on time.

Windsor Place At-Home Care in Lawrence, Kan. is being sued for unspecified damages by surviving relatives of a quadriplegic adult and three children who died in the fire.

08/07/2012

The Association of Home Care Coding and Compliance (AHCC) has voiced concerns over M1024 restrictions outlined in the proposed PPS annual rate update. 

If the proposed rule is adopted in its entirety, it could mean a significant decrease in clinical points for agencies.

08/02/2012

A new report by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) released Aug. 2 argues that some $5 million in Medicare payments to home health agencies in 2010 were the result of "inappropriate and questionable billing."

The OIG recommends multiple enforcement steps to CMS, including a further lowering of the outlier cap.

08/01/2012

Update (Aug. 7, 5pm): CGS has corrected the topic code for this review. The topic code will be 5101T, not 5101IT.

Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) CGS has announced a widespread review of hospice claims for patients with Alzheimer's, debility and chronic airway obstruction.

The topic code for the review will be 5101IT.

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