Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
Agencies and stakeholders have until Friday, August 27, to provide comments on the 2022 Home Health final rule. Formal comments can be submitted online. Introduced in late June, the proposed rule: Plots a national expansion for the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model in 2022 Sets a date for OASIS-E implementation: January 1, 2023 Increases […]
CMS has announced a new mandate that requires all nursing home employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Non-compliant nursing homes stand to lose federal funding if they allow non-vaccinated staff to continue to work. According to federal data, approximately 60% of nursing home staff is currently vaccinated.
The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals. CMS, in response, is assuring that eligible Medicare beneficiaries can receive it with no cost sharing. CMS will share more information and guidance in the coming days about billing and coding for the additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine […]
There’s a recent major development in the insurance world you may not have heard of yet: Washington just became the first state in the nation to develop legislation that makes long-term care affordable for its workers. Called “WA Cares,” this program also impacts companies outside of Washington that have employees in the state. Washington employees […]
New Jersey will require health care workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to regular testing, including employees of licensed home health agencies operating within the state. Gov. Phil Murphy announced the new requirements on Aug. 6, 2021, noting workers should be fully vaccinated by Sept. 7. At that point, if a worker hasn’t […]
CMS is restarting the Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) program, according to an announcement in the MLN Connects newsletter Aug. 12, 2021. Suspended since the start of the pandemic, TPE is intended to help educate providers and reduce future denials and appeals. “If your Medicare Administrative Contractor audits you, take advantage of the TPE education, […]
A statewide order went into effect August 11 in California that requires proof of vaccination for all SNF visitors. If a visitor cannot prove vaccination status, they must provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the visit. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask as well. […]
CMS is reminding hospices about creating an effective plan of care, noting a 2019 report from the Office of Inspector General that found most hospices have at least one deficiency in their quality of care. Review the Creating an Effective Hospice Plan of Care fact sheet to learn about principles of care planning, care coordination […]
Since last summer’s protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, many of the biggest public companies in the United States have pledged to increase black and minority representation. Yet a recent diversity study of the technology industry found companies that made statements in support of Black Lives Matter had 20% fewer black employees […]
Plans to test a shorter, web-based version of the Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) survey are expected to be published in the Federal Registry on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. CMS wants to test the response rates and scores of a web-based mode for the survey, with hopes of adding it to the mail and telephone […]