Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
CMS will hold its next home health, hospice and durable medical equipment open door forum at 2 p.m. EST on Nov. 6. Topics will include the home health payment rule and the review choice demonstration as well as a home health billing update related to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). View the agenda at https://go.cms.gov/1TlLRb4.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) on Oct. 28. The bill has since been received by the Senate and referred to the committee on health, education, labor and pensions. Designed to promote education and research in palliative care and hospice, the bill would create fellowships […]
Nursing home employment rates declined in October, according to an update by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released November 1. Although the report does not specify what caused the 1.3% dip, earlier reports of therapist layoffs seem a likely culprit for the dip in employment rates. This doesn’t necessarily mean that PDPM is to […]
When 46 Fire raged toward Riverside Heights Healthcare Center in Jurupa Valley, CA. October 30th, staff had just 15 minutes to evacuate more than five dozen residents, many whom were confined to beds and wheelchairs. Within those 15 minutes, staff gathered all residents of the 70-bed facility into a common room, dialed 911 for assistance, […]
The Joint Commission is seeking continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for home health agencies that wish to participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs. A proposed notice acknowledging receipt of an application from The Joint Commission was published in the Federal Register Oct. 24 and is open for public comment through 5 p.m. Nov. […]
The deadline is fast approaching for providers to comment on several new codes and revisions proposed for implementation Oct. 1, 2020. The deadline to submit comments on the proposals is Nov. 8. The proposed code changes were discussed at the September ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting. Among the possible changes is a proposal that would […]
The 2020 PPS final rule, which was posted to the Federal Register October 31, reinforces the plan to implement the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) on Jan. 1, 2020. But CMS has eased off of plans to implement an 8.01% decrease in agencies’ payments due to changes it anticipates agencies will make in response to the […]
A study published October 23 by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, “Role of Post‐Acute Care in Readmissions for Preexisting Healthcare‐Associated Infections,” found that hospital patients treated for pre-existing healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are less likely to be readmitted after being discharged to a SNF, as opposed to home health care. Researchers of the study […]
CMS will host a webcast November 5 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET regarding the electronic submission of Medicare Part A Cost Reports. The webcast will provide a detailed overview of how to access and submit claims using the new Medicare Cost Report e-Filing (MCReF) system. The webcast will be followed by a Q&A session. […]
Starting in January 2020, Medicare-enrolled nurse practitioners in Maryland will be allowed to certify home health services as part of the Medicare Total Cost of Care (TCOC) Model. The change will be effective for services provided on or after Jan. 1, according to change request 11330. Currently Medicare only pays for home health if a […]