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Hospice Insider

Reimbursement:
It's Time To Elect Your Hospice Cap Method
Choices differ for this year versus next year. At least one HHH MAC is ready to accept yo... Read more
Regulations:
Use This New ABN Starting Jan. 1
Do you know when to issue the ABN -- and when not to? Be sure your paperwork is up t... Read more
Billing:
You Can't Submit Late Charge Claims Starting April 1
Hospices are nearly the last to use these types of claims. Get ready to make a hospice bi... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
OIG Cracks Down On Hospice Medicaid Payments
State claims processing system at fault, new report says. More evidence that the feds are... Read more
Enrollment:
Revalidation Delay Applies Only To Some Hospices
Tip: Failing to send in your CHOW information ASAP is a big mistake. Hospices have won a ... Read more
Quality:
Get Ready To Submit Your Voluntary Quality Data
You can start working now on the data that you may submit Jan. 1. If you want to submit y... Read more
Hospice News:
Give Your Bottom Line The Gift Of Claims Accuracy
Watch out for physician signature problems. Don't let technicalities result in your hospi... Read more
Hospice News:
Use Doc Billing Training To Improve Referrals
You may boost your hospice referrals if you help your referring physicians learn to navig... Read more
Hospice News:
NGS To Become Jurisdiction 6 HHH MAC
Home health agencies who have NHIC as their HHH MAC and deal with National Government Ser... Read more
Hospice News:
Marketing To SNFs, GIP Under OIG's Microscope
Hospices see relatively light action in the HHS Office of Inspector General's new work pl... Read more
Hospice News:
You're On The Hook For Care When F2F Is Missed
CMS has put some of its face-to-face billing guidance for hospices in a more official for... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Owner Charged With $14M Fraud
Hospices aren't immune from the feds' crackdown on Medicare fraudsters. Matthew Kolodesh,... Read more
Hospice News:
Use These New Addresses To Avoid Claims Delays
Just when you've gotten used to sending your documents to one mailing address for new HHH... Read more
Reader Question:
Get The Right Physician On Your Claim With Revised CMS Guidance
Here's how to handle a change in the attending or certifying physician. Question: How do ... Read more
Medical Review:
8 Ways To Improve Your Documentation And Fend Off Denials -- Or Worse
Tip: Focus less on what your staff does and more on what your patient needs. At least 10 ... Read more
Contractors:
Beware These Eyes Looking Over Your Shoulder
States are looking at hospice-nursing home relationships. It's not just intermediaries an... Read more
Reimbursement:
More Changes Come To Hospice Cost Report Form
There are more changes in addition to the instructions issued earlier this summer. Get re... Read more
Budget:
MedPAC Wants Reimbursement Cuts For Nursing Home Patients
Copays, pay updates and hospice in SNFs feature in advisory body's latest suggestions. O... Read more
Patient Privacy:
HIPAA Compliance Should Zero In On Portable Devices
Hospices face special privacy risks. With HIPAA enforcement looking to ramp up in the near... Read more
Compliance:
6 Tips To Boost Your HIPAA Compliance
The majority of home care providers are out of compliance, expert believes. Smart hospices... Read more
HIPAA:
Drive Home Facebook No-No's To Staff
Employees have a right to use social media, but must protect identifiable patient informa... Read more
Reimbursement:
Keep An Eye Out For Hospice Cap Selection Deadline
Don't contact your HHH MAC quite yet. Give your hospice cap methodology selection careful... Read more
Hospice News:
End-Of-Life Discussions Don't Impact Survival, Study Says
Living wills also don't change survival rates. Open dialog about hospice use and other end... Read more
Hospice News:
Check Out Quality Reporting Forms
You can take a look at the proposed forms for the voluntary hospice quality reporting peri... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Ponies Up $36K Fine For Excluded Employee
Check and double check your employees for exclusion from federal health care programs. Tha... Read more
Referrals:
Market Smarter And Grow Your Business With This Expert Advice
Sending out a nurse with donuts just isn't enough anymore. If you aren't employing dedica... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Non-Employee Marketers Pose Big Compliance Risks
Don't risk long-term compliance for short-term gains in referrals. Once you've decided to... Read more
Marketing:
A Marketer By Any Other Name Would Be As Effective
There are two main types of liaisons, marketing expert explains. What type of marketing s... Read more
Compliance:
Use These 8 Tips To Protect Yourself From Nursing Home-Related Scrutiny
When's the last time you updated your compliance plan? Smart hospices will be correcting ... Read more
Quality:
Watch For Quality Reporting Details In November
Vital hospice instructions about the new requirement are coming soon. The deadline for su... Read more
Hospice News:
Missed Your Patient's F2F? Get A New Election Statement
Don't overlook this item that can torpedo your payment. Don't believe everything you hear ... Read more
Hospice News:
Tap These Free Tools To Master Billing Topics
Looking for help with your hospice billing? New HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor CG... Read more
Hospice News:
Keep An Eye On Compliance Hot Spots
Want to see what CMS and the OIG are keeping tabs on? You can tune in to CMS's Provider C... Read more
Hospice News:
Health Care Fraud Prosecutions Skyrocket This Year
It's not just your imagination; health care fraud busts are way up this year. Data obtain... Read more
Hospice News:
Here's How To Bill Claims Across The ICD-10 Implementation Date
One more piece of the ICD-10 puzzle is now in place. The Centers for Medicare & Medic... Read more
Hospice News:
Newspaper Shines Spotlight On Hospice Fraud, Lobbying
The hospice industry is getting a bad rap in a widely read national newspaper. USA Today ... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Add Extra Therapy Billing Burden
Keep an eye out for whether these codes become mandatory in the future. Question: Do we n... Read more
Reimbursement:
Hospice Payment Rates To Increase 2.5% In October
Plus: Soon you'll need to make your hospice cap calculation decision. Hospices will have ... Read more
Face-To-Face:
Know New Hospice F2F Ropes Or Risk Compliance, And Reimbursement
CMS clarifies what to do when the face-to-face requirement isn't fulfilled. Complying wit... Read more
Quality:
Hospice Quality Reporting Starts In January
The two initially reported measures are just the beginning, CMS says. The hospice 2012 wa... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Brace Yourself For Increased Scrutiny Of Nursing Facility Residents
Hospices with lots of nursing home patients are suspicious, new OIG report says. You may ... Read more
Know Your Facts:
Medicare's Hospice Spending For Nursing Home Patients Grows 70%
For-profits receive more reimbursement per beneficiary than non-profits. Here are the 200... Read more
Hospice News:
Is Your Claim Coding Messing Up Beneficiaries' Enrollment Periods?
CMS issues revised instructions for hospice discharge billing. You need to use the correct... Read more
Hospice News:
Don't Date Stamp Hospice Terminal Illness Certs Unless You Want Denials
Put away those date stamps for your hospice patients' terminal illness certification, or r... Read more
Hospice News:
Multiple Regions See Hospice Inpatient Units Opening Their Doors
Hospice inpatient units continue to proliferate. Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care ... Read more
Survey & Certification:
Hospices Must Shoulder New SNF Crime Reporting Burden
Watch out for retaliation against your hospice if an employee reports. Get ready to add a... Read more
Compliance:
Use These 6 Tips To Navigate New SNF Reporting Requirement
Craft Your Policies & Procedures Carefully Use these expert tips to make sure you're ... Read more
Regulations:
Beware These Crime Reporting-Related Deficiencies
Be prepared to pass a surveyor's test. Long-term care facilities aren't the only ones who... Read more
Medical Review:
Scrutinize Charges Unrelated To Hospice Terminal Diagnosis -- Before Reviewers Do
Use 3 tips to survive the feds' new focus. The cost of caring for your hospice patients m... Read more
Audits:
RACs May Bite On Hospice Unrelated Charges
Data-driven review lends itself to terminal diagnosis issue. Recovery Audit Contractors h... Read more
Reimbursement:
Note These Changes To The Hospice Cost Report Form
CMS wants to know more about your ancillary costs during inpatient stays. The hospice cos... Read more
Hospice News:
Pre-Pay Claims Review Heats Up
Predictive modeling could target your claims. Get ready for more scrutiny of your claims b... Read more
Hospice News:
Aide Retention Tough, New CDC Report Says
The need for home care aides is rising, but drawbacks to the job may make recruiting incre... Read more
Hospice News:
Know Your FISS Status Codes To Speed Claims Payment
Wondering what's going on with a claim you submitted? Check out your Fiscal Intermediary S... Read more
Hospice News:
Do Your HEAT Compliance Training In Small Pieces
Don't have the time to sit through the nearly fourhour HEAT training session the HHS Offic... Read more
Hospice News:
Watch Out For Closed Medicare Bank Accounts
If you get a Medicare check returned with an "account closed" message, don't panic. CMS ha... Read more
Hospice News:
Step Up To The Plate For PS&R Reports
If you fail to download your PS&R report from the new system, it will be you that's on... Read more
Regulations:
F2F Hammer Continues To Pound Hospices
Obtaining timely benefit period information is a huge obstacle to face-to-face compliance... Read more
Eligibility:
Slow CWF Information Trips Up Hospices
Watch for coming CMS transmittal on how to handle missed F2F encounters. Another major ob... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Get Ready For Mandatory Compliance Plans
Plus: OIG plans to crack down on documentation requirements. Home care providers are in t... Read more
Education:
Get Training On Volunteer Requirements, Compliance Strategies, And More
Check out Eli audioconferences on hospice physician billing, troubleshooting your hospic... Read more
Reimbursement:
Here's A Sneak Peek At Your 2011 Cap Amount
Use the info to make cap appeals decisions. Hospices have a lot of decisions to make this... Read more
Hospice News:
Don't Leave NPI Field Blank On Claims
Notice of Election workaround does not apply to claims. Just because you can leave the "OT... Read more
Compliance:
7 Elements CMS Wants In Your Compliance Plan
"While the specifics are still being ironed out through the regulatory process, we do know... Read more
Reimbursement:
Hospices To See 2.3% Pay Bump Starting This Fall
But BNAF wage index reduction takes $80 million out of hospices' pockets. Hospices should... Read more
Regulations:
Will Hospice Face-To-Face Change Ease Your Burden?
CMS proposes loosening up who can make the F2F visit for hospice patients. Your hospice f... Read more
Budget:
Reimbursement Cuts, SNF Scrutiny May Come Your Way This Year
Don't be surprised if a hospice copayment proposal rears its ugly head. If you're wonderi... Read more
Know Your Facts:
Hospice Numbers Surge Since 2000
Average LOS soars, but median LOS remains steady. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commissio... Read more
Appeals:
CMS Backtracks On Hospice Cap Appeals
Don't miss your opportunity to appeal an unfavorable cap calculation. The cap choices tha... Read more
Legislation:
Bill Allowing PAs As Hospice Attendings Would Increase Access
Hospices may see more Medicare beneficiaries on their rolls if legislation to improve acc... Read more
Hospice News:
Use This Workaround To Sidestep Hospice NOE Glitch
Hosipices have received some good news -- one nagging claims system error is resolve... Read more
Regulations:
Face It: F2F Is Here To Stay
Despite much uproar and tons of advocacy against it, the physician face-to-face encounter... Read more
Legislation:
Lawmakers Take Aim at Hospice's F2F Challenges
If your hospice is like most, you don't have the time or money to lobby for F2F reform. B... Read more
Trends:
Get Ready To Fight For Patient Services Unrelated To Terminal Dx
Plus: CMS ramping up hospice complaint surveys, concurrent care demonstrations, and more.... Read more
Compliance:
F2F Enforcement Is Here, But Advocates Still Working For Reform
Industry groups tracking F2F results to gather evidence against the requirement. Just bec... Read more
Strategies:
You Can Help Docs With F2F Documentation, CMS Says
But don't try to do the documentation for them. With the April 1 deadline for the physici... Read more
Reimbursement:
75% Of Your Long-Stay Hospice Claims Will Be Denied
Documentation is the key in getting reimbursed for long stays. Hospices that aren't docum... Read more
News:
Expect More Scrutiny If OIG Gets Its Way
Nursing home-hospice interactions could raise red flags. If you receive more outlier paym... Read more
Replace Your Medicare Policy Manual With This Update
Here's where you'll find everything you need to ensure compliance. You now have an update... Read more
Hospice Claim Glitch Is All Patched Up, CMS Says
But don't expect automatic release of claims held in error. A fix is finally scheduled fo... Read more
Regulations:
Hospices Still Wrangling With Physicians As FFE Enforcement Looms
Inconsistent messages keeping docs from understanding -- and complying with -- the face-t... Read more
Strategy:
Tame The FFE Requirement With These 12 Tips
Make sure you reach out to a variety of sources for education. The new face-to-face encou... Read more
Coding:
Want To Ease ICD-10 Transition? Try Diagnosis Crosswalks
Good: You're going to like the new code set, which includes 2011 diagnoses. If you're lik... Read more
Compliance:
Privacy Breaches Will Cost You Big, HHS Proves
Beware 'willful neglect' penalties up to $50,000 per violation now in effect. If you thin... Read more
News:
Dementia Patients Receiving Increased Hospice Benefits
Policymakers could drive a wedge between patients and their needed services. A growing nu... Read more
Court Rules Medicare Hospice Cap Invalid
But don't expect a big payout -- Medicare has another trick up its sleeve. A recent feder... Read more
Offer Caregivers A New Tool For Managing Medications
Here's how to get a handle on what's in patients' medicine cabinets. If your patients' ca... Read more
Reader Questions:
481 or 485? Count Lobes To Clear Up Pneumonia Confusion
Look for changes coming this October. Question: What is the difference between "lobar pne... Read more
Reader Questions:
Create A Compliance Culture With This Advice
Here's how to get employees on board with your compliance efforts. Any hospice working to... Read more
Proposals:
Prepare To Add Yet Another Form To Patients' Paperwork Mountain
Make sure patients know QIOs are looking out for their quality concerns. If your patients... Read more
Regulations:
Don't Waste Your Face To Face Encounter Delay Time
Just because CMS postponed enforcement doesn't mean you get a free pass. Working the kink... Read more
Gain Physician Buy-In With These Tips
Here's how to overcome one of the biggest FFE hurtles. Surprise, surprise -- hospice... Read more
Compliance:
Don't Expect An Exception To FFE Rules
Make sure your policies address these potential pitfalls. Think the face to face encounte... Read more
Research:
New Study Puts Bull's Eye On For-Profit Hospices' Backs
Findings draw firm line through the hospice industry. A new article in the Journal of the... Read more
Coding:
Tackle Your ICD-10 Transition Today, Experts Say
Expect the process to be extensive and all-encompassing. You have a lot on your plate, bu... Read more
Industry Notes:
Cross Your Fingers: A 1% Pay Increase Could Be Headed Your Way
Medicare hospice spending has increased 300% over seven years. Hospices would see a 1 per... Read more
Industry Notes:
Double Check Your Documentation Before Billing
An FFE mistake could leave you holding the payment bag. If you bill for an episode withou... Read more
Industry Notes:
Tune Into This FFE Education Opportunity
Get the answers you need -- before the deadline hits. The face to face encounter ... Read more
Regulations:
Worried About FFE? CMS Offers Hospices Good News
Just when you thought there was no hope, CMS grants hospices an 11th hour reprieve. If... Read more
Education:
Smooth Out Your FFE Transition With These 6 Sites
CMS, NAHC, and others offer free guidance for cash- and time-strapped agencies. You don't... Read more
Compliance:
Remove FFE From Your MA Patients' Schedules
New CMS FAQs shed light on thorny face to face encounter issues. Your Medicare Advantage ... Read more
Sample Document:
Standardize Your Recert Process With This Tool
You can ensure that you cover all the recertification bases -- here's how. You must ... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
OIG Cracks Down On Hospices' Billing Practices
Watchdog agency is on the lookout for double payment for end-of-life services. In its lat... Read more
Assessment:
Hospice Versus VA Benefits? Let Veterans Make The Choice
You must educate patients on what is covered by each program. If you've been wondering ho... Read more
News:
NY Providers Must Educate Patients On End-of-Life Care
New state law puts onus on docs and nurses -- not patients -- to discuss hospic... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to Co-Morbid Conditions For Alzheimer's Patients' Eligibility
Don't get so caught up in ambulation that you miss other key criteria. Question: In readin... Read more
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