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Hospice Insider

Managed Care:
Counties Covered By MA Hospice Plans Will Nearly Double In 2022
Don't make the mistake of thinking you won't be affected if you don't operate in one of th... Read more
VBID:
5 Medicare Advantage Plans To Offer Hospice Benefit
Tip: Remember you have to bill both the managed care plan and Medicare for VBID carve-in ... Read more
Regulations:
HOPE Tool Continues Path To Implementation
November Care Compare refresh, new HQRP resources also discussed in forum. Just because... Read more
Audits:
OIG Wants Nonprofit Hospice To Repay $42 Million
Medical reviewer denies claims for patients who died. Many of the problems hospice claims... Read more
Medical Review:
UPICs Should Do More, OIG Urges
Protect yourself from UPIC reviews with tips from legal experts. Don't be surprised to s... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Hospices Trade Hands Across The U.S.
Texas is an M&A focal point, as usual. The fall weather isn't the only brisk thing th... Read more
COVID-19:
Keep Tabs On Changes To CDC Masking Requirements, COVID Vaccination Exceptions
Plus: Supreme Court rejects vaccination mandate appeal. If you base your masking and ot... Read more
Hospice News:
MR Reopening Is Now An Option
You may be able to fix late ADR responses. If you let a medical review records request ... Read more
Hospice News:
Telehealth Codes Coming Too Slowly
Medicare needs to get with the program and create procedure codes for hospices to bill tel... Read more
Covid-19:
Telehealth Face-To-Face Gets Some Breathing Room Post PHE
PHE flexibility fact sheets now incorporate accurate end dates. If you worried that some ... Read more
Medicare Advantage:
VBID Billing Headaches Continue To Plague Hospices
Potential headache: Hospices must wait on MA submissions for payment when patients disenr... Read more
Compliance:
Watch Out For Hospice Fraud, Seniors Tell Beneficiaries
The Senior Medicare Patrol's recoveries are down, but it's keeping up the pressure on the ... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Private Equity-Backed Chain Readies For Midwest Expansion
Plus: California, Florida markets see action too. Troy, Michigan-based Residential Hospic... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Prison Time Racks Up For Novus Fraudsters
Hospice's marketing director is most recent to be sentenced. Six years after federal raid... Read more
Hospice News:
Heed These Post-Mortem Billing Tips
Watch out: Service intensity add-on visit payments are at stake. If you fail to report po... Read more
Hospice News:
COVID Vax Mandate Lawsuit Costs Provider $10 Million
Has exposure to litigation based on your COVID vaccination procedures been on your mind? A... Read more
Hospice News:
Access Newest Preview Reports Before They’re Gone
You have a little time left to view your latest hospice Provider Preview Reports. The pre... Read more
Hospice News:
National Quality Forum Approves New Measure
The new Hospice Visits in the Last Days of Life quality measure now has the NQF's official... Read more
Hospice News:
Consult New Medicare Sources For Crucial Info
Hospices have a plethora of new resources available to explain payment, quality, and other... Read more
Hospice News:
Tackle Physician And NPP Billing With Newly Updated Guidance
The MACs are offering a helping hand when it comes to billing hospice physician, nurse pra... Read more
Hospice News:
DOL Probe Costs Hospice $50K
While personal care service agencies are the most frequent targets of Department of Labor ... Read more
Hospice News:
Iowa, Colorado Get New Hospice Facilities
Hospices continue to open new inpatient facilities. Hospice of the Red River Valley in Io... Read more
Hospice News:
Oncology Payment Model Could Enter Hospices’ Orbits
A new Medicare payment model test for cancer patients may not involve hospices directly, b... Read more
Reimbursement:
2023 Pay Increase Climbs To 3.8% — But It Should Be More
Final rule contains highest hospice pay hike since the ‘90s. Hospices are getting a re... Read more
Regulations:
Finalized Wage Index Dismisses Hospices’ Concerns
Protection against dramatic drops is good, but could be better. Providers' pleas to expan... Read more
Surveys & Certification:
Expect A Special Focus Program Proposal Next Year
TEP panel will help inform the process. Hospices hoping Medicare officials will take a ... Read more
Quality:
Final Rule Features Multiple Quality Provisions
HOPE tool continues testing. Buckle in for the serious quality repercussions in the short... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
OIG Cheers Senior Medicare Patrol Hospice Fraud Prevention
HCFAC rakes in $5 billion. Hunting health care fraud is big business for the feds, and th... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
PE-Backed Hospice Chains Make Buys
Plus: Ohio coalition gains another nonprofit member. The hospice mergers and acquisitions... Read more
Hospice News:
Check Out Recently Unveiled HCI Stats To Help Prepare
If you're under 8 points, you should worry, contractor implies. You can get into the ni... Read more
Hospice News:
SFP, QM TEPs Are In The Works
Hospices will get at least some chance to weigh in on the new hospice Special Focus Progra... Read more
Hospice News:
Lawmakers Seek To Postpone End Of Some Telehealth Options
Keep an eye on legislation that would extend telehealth flexibilities through 2024, regard... Read more
Hospice News:
Exposé Targets PE Involvement In Hospice, Again
Private equity firms' investments in the hospice market are continuing to draw scrutiny, t... Read more
Hospice News:
Give Medicare Officials The Unvarnished Truth About Medicare Advantage Plans
Here's your chance to give CMS an earful about Medicare Advantage plans. The Centers for M... Read more
Managed Care:
MACs Won’t Help You With VBID Billing Problems
Reimbursement woes continue under carve-in program. If you're having trouble getting bill... Read more
Regulations:
Wage Index Relief Doesn’t Go Far Enough, Hospices Tell Medicare
Lower the wage index swing cap to 2 or 3%, they urge. Medicare has taken a good first ste... Read more
Growth:
Inpatient Facilities Open Doors Around The Nation
Facility closed by COVID reopens for business. New hospice facilities continue to appear... Read more
Studies & Surveys:
Hospice Care Helps Patients With Alzheimer’s, 2 Studies Show
Access problems are a real threat, researchers maintain. If dementia patients fail to ac... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
2 Hospices Involved In COVID Aid Fraud
Owners of shuttered hospices aren't getting away with raking in pandemic relief funds. ... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospices Mull Actions As IRS Increases Mileage Rate
Payers must recognize cost impacts, industry rep says. Gas prices may be inching back d... Read more
Hospice News:
Nail Down Hospice Cap Liability
Whether you're on the buying or selling end of a hospice acquisition, you can stave off a ... Read more
Hospice News:
NOE Exception Requests Are Under The Microscope
Be careful when making NOE exception requests, or you could find your HHH MAC on your case... Read more
Hospice News:
Feds Ask For Feedback On Hospice-SNF Interoperability
Don't necessarily hit “block” if you see a caller ID for a supposed government entity ... Read more
Hospice News:
Here’s What To Do When Patient’s Name Is Shortened
Don't get stumped on what to do when a patient's full name isn't listed on their Medicare ... Read more
Hospice News:
States’ PEPPER Download Rates Range From 17% to 89%
Are you behind your competitors in checking out your stats in your PEPPER report? Informat... Read more
Reimbursement:
2023 Payment Rate Update Is Not Nearly Enough, Providers Tell CMS
Small, rural, nonprofit hospices are at risk, commenters warn. If Medicare officials thou... Read more
Payment:
Multiple Factors Increase Hospice Costs — And Pressure Providers
Commenters give CMS a laundry list of reasons they can't cope without higher reimbursement... Read more
Policy:
Hospice Spending Continues To Rise
Increasing cap overages, ratio of for-profit providers concerns the advisory body. Take a... Read more
Recruitment & Retention:
Labor Squeeze Is An Equal Opportunity Problem
Staffing woes apply to nearly everyone — including publicly traded companies. The U.S.... Read more
Compliance:
OIG Harps On Hospice Bundling Again In Latest Report To Congress
Looks like hospices will be under heavy scrutiny for some time to come. If you need a rem... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Chains Grow In Southeast, Midwest
Plus: Hospice set to open PACE program in Virginia. Agape Care Group has acquired Hospice... Read more
Hospice News:
Deeper Sequestration Cut Still On For July 1
Get ready to tighten your budget belt further. You've got just over a month left before s... Read more
Hospice News:
Double-Check You Are No Longer Operating Under Certain Waivers
Inpatient hospices need to make sure they're in compliance with Medicare regulations as so... Read more
Hospice News:
Check Out Your Care Compare Numbers — Minus HVLDL, HCI
Your new hospice numbers are now up on Medicare's Care Compare website — but maybe not a... Read more
Quality:
HCI, HVLDL Measures Debut In This Month’s Care Compare Refresh
Plus: Submit your proposed rule comments by May 31. Stats on new hospice quality measures... Read more
Reimbursement:
Proposed 5% Cap On Wage Index Decreases To Have Limited Impact In 2023
Next year will bring the usual crop of wage index winners and losers. While a limit to h... Read more
Finance:
ADC Suppressed As Pandemic Wore On, Publicly Traded Companies Report
Contributing factors include later referrals, lower nursing home business If you experien... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Humana Plans $2.8 Billion Sale Of Hospice, PC Businesses
Plus: Nonprofits merge in Maryland. The hospice landscape continues to shift with major M... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Hospice Catches The Fraud Spotlight In Recent Enforcement Actions
Texas, California cases finger hospice fraudsters. The Department of Justice isn't done ... Read more
Hospice News:
MAC Clarifies VBID Carve-In Details
Here's how to treat MA payments for cap purposes. The longer Medicare's Value-Based Insur... Read more
Hospice News:
Latest PHE Renewal Begs The Question: How Long Will It Last?
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra signed a ninth extension of the COVID-19 public health emerge... Read more
Hospice News:
Medicare Thrusts Ownership, M&A Info Into The Light
Look to a development for SNFs and hospitals to see what might be coming down the pike for... Read more
Hospice News:
HVLDL Isn’t Quite NQF Official
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services apparently got ahead of itself when it sa... Read more
Hospice News:
GIP Care, New Status Draw Medical Review Scrutiny
If you're wondering what's putting a target on hospices' backs, some comments at a recent ... Read more
Hospice News:
TEP Entertains Idea Of Complaint-Driven QMs
You can now get an inside look at what the Hospice Quality Reporting Program Technical Exp... Read more
Hospice News:
Sequestration Cuts Still Loom Large After Enactment Of Budget Bill
The appropriations legislation enacted back in March funded the federal government through... Read more
Reimbursement:
Pay Hike, Wage Index Change On Deck For 2023
Medicare plans to boost hospice pay rates 2.7 percent. Hospices may not be getting all t... Read more
Surveys & Certification:
Hospices Get A Breather On Survey Targeting Program
But that reprieve will be relatively brief, proposed rule suggests. Sooner than you mig... Read more
Quality:
Brief Hospice Proposed Rule Sees Multiple Quality Provisions
HOPE assessment tool, new modes for CAHPS survey are included in Medicare's quality provis... Read more
Equity:
Expect Health Equity Quality Measures In Your Future
Get in your 2 cents about the measures before it's too late. Medicare is taking health ... Read more
Budget:
MedPAC Doubles Down On Rate Freeze, Cap Cut Recs To Congress
Broad cuts will harm innocent providers, hospices warn. If you think MedPAC is going to ... Read more
Finance:
Fewer And Later Referrals Lowered ADC In 2021
Execs predict a return to ‘normal' as COVID lets up. If you saw a lower hospice patient... Read more
Hospice News:
Sequestration Cuts Still Loom Large After Enactment Of Budget Bill
Telehealth PHE waivers extended. Recently enacted legislation has funded the federal go... Read more
Reimbursement:
Brace For More Hospice Audits In Wake Of OIG Report On Nonhospice Spending
Hospice payment structure may be in need of an overhaul, watchdog agency suggests. Gettin... Read more
Quality:
More Of Your Quality Data Is About To Go Public
Make sure you know the ins and outs of HCI, Visits in Last Days of Life measures. Medicar... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Hospice M&A Market Continues To Hop In 2022
Humana readies hospice business for sale. Another group of nonprofit hospices have decid... Read more
Compliance:
Consider This Newly Greenlit Strategy For Alleviating Aide Shortage
OIG gives thumbs up to paying patients' family members to become aides. The current sta... Read more
Surveys & Certification:
Say Goodbye To Widespread Use Of Focused infection Control Surveys
Targeted FIC surveys are not totally forbidden, however. Hospices no longer have to worr... Read more
Hospice News:
Beware Forthcoming Hospice Claims Edit Aimed At Gap Billing
Get your definition of ‘transfer' straight. Official transfers of hospice patients may ... Read more
Hospice News:
Give More Notice Of ODFs, Providers Tell CMS
The content of Medicare's Feb. 24 Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum wasn't th... Read more
Hospice News:
Whistleblower Cases Ramped Up Last Year
It's not your imagination if you're feeling the heat of federal scrutiny. Last year the fe... Read more
Hospice News:
CMS Educates On New QM Reports
Not sure what's changed about the Hospice Quality Reporting Program's Quality Measure repo... Read more
Hospice News:
Data Mining, Whistleblowers Key To State’s New Fraud Strike Force
Health care fraudsters in West Virginia have another investigative body on their tail now.... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Owner Gets 5-Year Prison Sentence
A Georgia hospice owner has been sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay more... Read more
Hospice:
MedPAC Fails To Face Rural Patients’ Difficulties Accessing Hospice
Plus: Cap cut would hurt vulnerable patients, expert warns. A long-term problem is final... Read more
Compliance:
Hospice Eligibility Is In The OIG’s Crosshairs
Providers aren't thrilled to see newest Work Plan item. Getting raked over the coals all ... Read more
Access:
Will New Nursing Home Visitation Guidance Affect Access?
Modifications discussed in newest policy updates. In the wake of the Omicron surge's pea... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Another Venerable Nonprofit Hospice Sells To Chain
Acquisition pace continues to be lively. Private equity-backed deals involving hospices... Read more
Hospice News:
Novus CEO Draws 13-Year Prison Sentence
Cooperative CEO gets same sentence as hostile physician. More proof that hospice fraud is... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Cap Deadline Is Almost Here
Hospice cap reductions may be in the public eye thanks to a newly finalized Medicare Payme... Read more
Hospice News:
Review Terminal Illness Certification Basics With MAC
Hospice eligibility based on terminal illness is a hot button topic for agencies ranging f... Read more
Hospice News:
Congress Should Take Action On Telehealth Waivers, Industry Reps Urge
Extending COVID Public Health Emergency telehealth waivers until December 2024 is necessar... Read more
Hospice News:
Don’t Let 5CNER Denials Threaten Your Reimbursement
Hospice Notice of Election delays can be costly. If you're not sure why you're seeing NOEs... Read more
Hospice News:
COVID-19 PHE Stretches 2 Years
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has been renewed for an eighth time. Department of H... Read more
Hospice News:
All Hospices Now Subject To CMS Vaccination Mandate
Time is up on requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Reminder: The U.S. S... Read more
Hospice News:
Provider Relief Fund Reporting Deadline Approaches As More Funding Is In The Works
The next round of Provider Relief Fund reporting has arrived. “Healthcare providers who ... Read more
Budget:
MedPAC Poised To Call For Hospice Cap Cut, Rate Freeze For 2023
Hospice industry is full of bad actors, one commissioner claims. For hospices wondering ... Read more
Reimbursement:
Download Your Cap Data ASAP
Don't let regulatory distractions delay the start of your cap reporting process. Making... Read more
COVID-19:
With CMS Vaccination Mandate Approved By SCOTUS, Follow These 13 Steps To Compliance Success
Tip: You're office staff are covered too. Medicare's staff vaccination mandate, newly gr... Read more
Study Up On Vaccination Mandate Details With These Documents
Don't forget EEOC guidance matters too. Ignorance of the regulation and related guidance ... Read more
Know What To Expect At Survey Time Regarding Exemptions
Can surveyors second-guess your exemption decisions? Survey trouble is brewing for hospic... Read more
Medicare Advantage:
Check Your Mailbox For Vital Managed Care Carve-In Info
Watch out: You may be serving Medicare Advantage VBID patient and not even know it. If th... Read more
Hospice News:
Here’s Your Opportunity To Beta Test The HOPE Tool
Assessment tool gets closer to widespread implementation. If you missed out on your chanc... Read more
Hospice News:
Whistleblower Lawsuit Decision May Benefit Other Hospices
The ongoing issue of how much sway medical experts' opinions carry is addressed in a new c... Read more
Hospice News:
Quality Reporting May Become An Even Bigger Deal
Medicare would like to expand its Hospice Quality Reporting Program — and it's building ... Read more
Hospice News:
Consult These Tip Sheets To Help With Compliance — And Reimbursement
Make sure you're keeping up with the latest Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements... Read more
Hospice News:
Investment In Hospices Draws Criticism In Mainstream Media
The proliferation of private equity-based hospice chains is getting the mainstream media t... Read more
Surveys & Certification:
2022 Will Bring A Mixed Bag Of Hospice Survey Changes
You can expect an increase in survey frequency, for starters. Hospices are more likely to... Read more
Quality:
Prepare For Your Data To Go Public Once Again
COVID-inspired freeze on quality reporting is nearly over. It may seem like not long ago ... Read more
Reimbursement:
OIG Thinks Hospices Need To Cover More DME
Hospices shirking equipment coverage cost Medicare tens of millions, watchdog agency insis... Read more
Payment:
Hospice Improper Pay Rate On The Rise After Many Years Of Reductions
Percentage point jump ‘is not statistically significant,' CMS claims. Policy- and law... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Terminal Illness, Hospice Caps Feature In Latest OIG Report
Hospice audits get a second spotlight. If you were hoping the HHS Office of Inspector Gen... Read more
Enforcement:
Whistleblower Reward Stacks Up To $1 Million In Latest Fraud Settlement
Docs draw decade-long jail terms for hospice fraud. A high-profile fraud case's latest se... Read more
Hospice News:
Be Prepared To Undergo Revalidation Again
And the fee is higher too. If your revalidation date came and went under the COVID-19 Pub... Read more
Hospice News:
Watch Out For This Quality Reporting Deadline
An increased financial penalty related to quality reporting means you should pay special a... Read more
Hospice News:
Inpatient Hospices A Likely Target For TPE
If you want Targeted Probe and Educate review to go away quick and easy, make sure you are... Read more
Hospice News:
SIP Program Fails To Get Off The Ground
Medicare's Seriously Ill Population test program is officially dead. “After careful con... Read more
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