Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
In a July report, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) revisited its top 25 unimplemented recommendations for reducing fraud, waste and abuse. Several of the recommendations involve home health, hospice or personal care services. The OIG recommends the implementation of a statutory mandate requiring surety bonds for home health […]
Two reports were released last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) demonstrating the results of in-depth studies of Medicare hospice recertification and complaint survey data from state agencies and accredited organizations between 2012 and 2016. The reports examine issues of deficiencies and abuse in hospice care. […]
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General issued two new reports that address the identification, reporting and investigation of incidents of potential abuse and neglect of our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including seniors and individuals with developmental disabilities. OIG issued an early alert in 2017 based on the preliminary findings of […]
Brought to you by Home Health Line. A new report from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) contends that while hospice care can provide great comfort to patients and their loved ones, the industry has vulnerabilities that affect program integrity and the quality of care. While recommendations within the July 31 report come in […]
After a stratified random sample review of hospice election statements and certifications of terminal illness, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reports that more than one-third of hospice General Inpatient (GIP) stays lack required information or had other vulnerabilities. Hospice election statements did not always mention – as required – that the beneficiary was […]
Source: Home Health Line A new study from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows that some of the patient lists home health agencies supplied to surveyors were missing Medicare beneficiaries. Relying on agencies to supply the lists exposed a vulnerability that beneficiaries could be excluded from surveyors’ reviews. “We also found that surveyors […]
In a recent report published by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), the agency found that states received one-third more nursing home complaints in 2015 than in 2011, despite a decrease in occupancy. States prioritized more than half of complaints into the most serious categories—immediate jeopardy and high priority—which require onsite investigations within two or […]
Evidence collected by Harvard researchers Brian E. McGarry and David Grabowski suggests that information provided on the Nursing Home Compare website, a tool created by CMS to inform consumers about the quality of care and services being delivered by skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes through a data-driven, five-star ranking system, is more applicable to […]
According to findings reported by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG), accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Shared Savings Program are learning how to achieve greater cost savings over time. The Medicare Shared Savings Program is one of the largest alternative payment models implemented by CMS to reward […]
According to an ongoing review of incidents of elder abuse and neglect in skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, the OIG determined that problems still remain with the quality of care being delivered and the reporting and investigation of such incidents. Regulations mandate that SNFs ensure that all alleged violations, such as mistreatment, neglect, or […]