Advanced Search

Hospice Insider

Medical Review:
Even More Edits Sweep Hospices Nationwide
Medical reviewers target nursing home patients, long LOS, non-cancer diagnoses. If you... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Get Your Dementia Coding Right Before Your Reimbursement Suffers
Always follow coding guidelines for accuracy. Medicare’s recent hospice payment ... Read more
Know Your Facts:
What is Dementia?
Understand the characteristics behind the diagnosis. Dementia is classified as a psych... Read more
Reimbursement:
Medicare Cracks Down On Hospice Drugs
Analgesics presumed to be related to terminal illness in latest initiative. Don’... Read more
Billing:
GIP Features In Supplemental Comparative Billing Report
Hospice diagnosis coding changes will hit hard, report indicates. Don’t be surpr... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Hospice Settles Whistleblower Suit For $3 Million
Hospice CEO excluded from Medicare for 3 years. Whistleblowers may be able to place a ... Read more
Hospice News:
You'll Have One Month To Submit HIS Data
Glean information from new HIS fact sheet. Want to find out more about the Hospice Ite... Read more
Hospice News:
E-Mail Mistake Leads To Hospice HIPAA Breach Notification
A slip-up by a hospice employee is leading to some bad press for one hospice — and... Read more
Hospice News:
More Patients Starting Hospice In Last 3 Days Of Life
Hospice enrollment among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer is up, but so is the number ... Read more
Hospice News:
OIG Recommends $75K Recoup From Colo. Hospice
Medicaid hospice payments continue to draw the attention of the HHS Office of Inspector ... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice CNA Praised In Fire Rescue
It’s not all bad press for hospices. In Wedgefield, S.C., hospice worker Rosalind ... Read more
Hospice News:
Philadelphia Hospice Owner Convicted Of Medicare Fraud
A hospice owner indicted two years ago has been found guilty of Medicare fraud in federa... Read more
Hospice News:
Trend Of Hospice Inpatient Facility Openings Continues Nationwide
Despite the feds’ crackdown on the hospice General Inpatient (GIP) care level of c... Read more
Referrals:
Use New SNF Rule To Open Doors To Your Hospice
Tip: Be ready to demonstrate that you furnish all four levels of hospice care. Nurs... Read more
Marketing:
Point Your SNF Referral Sources To These Resources
Most common hospice deficiencies can help nursing homes prepare for surveys. Under new... Read more
Eligibility:
Share These Hospice Facts With SNF Partners
SNFs must contract for requested hospice or transfer the patient. Are your nursing hom... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Cut These Unnecessary Business Associate Agreements
Are you unknowingly making these common hospice BAA mistakes? You should bring your HI... Read more
Reimbursement:
Enroll As Part B Provider Or Eat Vaccination Cost
Billing flu shots for your patients may be harder than you’d think. As flu seaso... Read more
Hospice News:
Auditors Examine Hospice Billing In 2 States
GIP, election statements catch reviewers’ eye. The feds continue their scrutiny ... Read more
Hospice News:
Market Pressures Squeeze Hospices
Tough reimbursement times are taking their toll on providers nationwide. In Arizona: T... Read more
Hospice News:
Incomplete HETS Info Ups Hospice Claim Risk
Hospices fed up with denials due to in-complete hospice eligibility information aren&rsq... Read more
Hospice News:
Facebook Posts Lead To Nurse Suspension, Firing
Is getting fired for Facebook comments the least that can happen to employees? One nurse... Read more
Hospice News:
Alleged False Charting Sparks Wrongful Termination Suit
 In a battle of he-said, she-said, your organization may lose even if it wins. Re... Read more
Hospice News:
Feds Seek To Seize Cars, Cash From Hospice Owner
Federal prosecutors have asked the court for the power to seize 20 luxury cars from a ho... Read more
Reimbursement:
Medicare Payment Rates To Inch Up 1% In 2014 -- Before Sequestration
More payment changes are on the way, CMS signals in final rule. Your costs are likely ... Read more
Payment:
Check Out Your New Hospice Wage Index
Plus: Cap amount for 2014 released. The annual wage index gamble for hospices has wrap... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Medicare System To Kick Back Failure To Thrive, Debility Claims Beginning In Fall 2014
Code all coexisting conditions, CMS also urges in final rule. You’ve got about a... Read more
Regulations:
Get Ready To Report This New Data Set Next Summer
Gear up now for the July 1 start date for HIS. Get ready to fill out 27 data items at ... Read more
Referrals:
Scrutiny May Squeeze Referrals
Billing report contractor, ZPIC contact docs about home care and hospice referrals. Re... Read more
Hospice News:
Surveys To Happen More Often If OIG Gets Its Way
Hospice goes 22 years with no surveys. Does getting surveyed about once a decade sound... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Spending Slows, CBO Says
The meteoric rise of hospice spending seems to have come to an end. Medicare hospice spe... Read more
Hospice News:
Drug Reporting May Weigh Heavily On Hospices
Hospices should get ready for a heavy reporting burden next year. In July, CMS released ... Read more
Hospice News:
NIH-Funded Study Evaluates Palliative Home Care For HIV Patients
A $1.7 million study will examine the effect of home health visits on a less traditional... Read more
Lawsuits:
$1 Million Fraud Settlement Highlights Dangers To Hospice
Are there whistleblowers lurking in your ranks? A recent settlement of Medicare and Me... Read more
Compliance:
Referrals: SNF Kickback Violations Take Center Stage In Enforcement
Furnishing free care to facility referral sources’ patients is a major no-no. Ar... Read more
Billing:
Gear Up For Expanded Data Reporting On Hospice Claims
CMS is laying the groundwork for hospice payment reform. The data you’ll start s... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
OIG Has Inpatient Care In Its Sights
Watchdog agency focuses on relationship between hospice facilities and GIP care. If yo... Read more
Regulations:
Review Your Nursing Home Agreements, CMS Urges
Rule requiring SNFs to have written agreements with hospices finalized. Now you’... Read more
Medical Review:
MAC Denies Nearly One-Third Of Claims In Hospice Review
Denial reasons differ for first versus later hospice benefit periods. Make sure your c... Read more
Hospice News:
Pay Attention To Details For Hospice NOEs
You must explain that the beneficiary will forego curative care, MAC stresses. Make su... Read more
Hospice News:
Put HETS Conversion On Your To-Do List
If you’ve been ignoring HETS, it may be time to pay attention. By April 2014, th... Read more
Hospice News:
Chain Faces Qui Tam Lawsuit
In a whistleblower lawsuit in New Hampshire, a former employee of Amedisys Inc. acquisit... Read more
Hospice News:
Get Hospice Monthly Billing Details Right
Hospice monthly billing may not always be as straightforward as it seems. "Provider... Read more
Reimbursement:
New Coding Restrictions Will Hit Many Hospices Hard
Tip: Look to your secondary diagnoses for the ‘real’ principal code. CMS s... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Expert: Guidance Doesn't Square With Coding Conventions
Medicare Administrative Contractor LCDs won’t save you. Authorities have been so... Read more
Payment:
Hospices Fear Financial Implications Under Expanded Diagnosis Code Reporting
CMS:  ‘Hospices are required to provide virtually all the care that is needed... Read more
Payment Reform:
Future Hospice Payment May Depend On Your Coding
Plus: Coding emphasis carries some positives. Diagnosis coding may not affect your hos... Read more
Referrals:
OIG Wants Prorated Hospital Pay For Discharges To Hospice
Move could lengthen hospital stays unnecessarily, CMS counters. Hospice lengths of sta... Read more
Hospice News:
Issue ABN For Non-Covered GIP Care, MAC Instructs
Billing questions remain for patients who want an upgrade. Hospices are wondering how ... Read more
Hospice News:
E-Mail Misstep Led To Hospice HIPAA Breach
Make sure your staff are thoroughly trained — and reinforced — about HIPAA-c... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Medical Director Guilty Of Kickbacks
A hospice medical director has been found guilty of taking kickbacks in a Medicare fraud... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospices On Payment Hook For Vaccinations
Expect to get calls from other providers seeking payment for vaccinations starting this ... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospices Keep Up Pace With Facility Openings
The HHS Office of Inspector General and other authorities are scrutinizing general inpat... Read more
Hospice News:
Whistleblower Suit Settlement Dogs Hospice
The hospice that settled a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a competitor is back in court ... Read more
Hospice News:
Struggling Nonprofit Hospice Prioritizes Marketing
Dwindling reimbursement and increased competition are causing a former hospice mainstay ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
CMS Cracks Down On Hospice Diagnosis Coding
Will new guidance broaden what you’re required to cover under the hospice benefit?... Read more
Strategy:
Use These 5 Tips To Tackle Hospice Coding
Should you spend money on certified coders? Don’t waste time sitting around to s... Read more
Compliance:
Comply With Hospice Diagnosis Coding Changes Now, CMS Says
Hospices seek clarification on diagnosis coding provisions in proposed rule. The hospi... Read more
Quality:
Get Ready To Collect These Hospice Data Items
Will ‘HIS’ data set become hospices’ OASIS? The Centers for Medicare... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
VITAS Slapped With False Claims Lawsuit
Suit focuses on continuous home care. More proof that the feds are cracking down on th... Read more
Hospice News:
Proposed Cost Report Changes Surprise Experts
New format will add burden to hospices’ cost reporting efforts. Policymakers pla... Read more
Hospice News:
Tap This Resource For Quality Training
Watch for forthcoming updated training materials about the hospice quality reporting pro... Read more
Hospice News:
Curative Care-Hospice Partnership Goes Untested
Medicare is falling behind on testing curative care for beneficiaries, report Politico a... Read more
Hospice News:
Palliative Care Providers Crowd Out Traditional Hospice
The rise of palliative care in non-hospice settings is tightening traditional hospice pr... Read more
Hospice News:
Financial Employee Fleeces Hospice
Keep a close eye on your administrative employees, or you could find yourself in the und... Read more
Reimbursement:
Hospice Payment Rates To Tick Up 1% Next Year
CMS may cut how much you get paid for Routine Home Care. BNAF and Affordable Care Act ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
CMS To Ban Debility, Failure To Thrive As Primary Diagnoses On Hospice Claims
Most hospices still aren’t reporting secondary diagnoses, CMS fumes. If you thou... Read more
Payment:
Hospice Payment Reform Is Knocking On Your Door
Prepare now for variable rates under the Medicare hospice benefit. All that visit data... Read more
Medicare:
Hospice Payment Change Will Create Winners, Losers
Profit margins to drop for hospices with long-stay patients in U-shaped model, MedPAC ex... Read more
Know Your Facts:
Skyrocketing Hospice Statistics Contribute To Payment Shift Motivation
Average LOS increased 50 percent from 2000 to 2007. Here are the statistics that law- ... Read more
Industry News:
Hospices Tighten Budget Belts In Face Of Cuts
Agencies whittle staff as reimbursement levels dwindle. Sequestration cuts, on top of ... Read more
Industry News:
High Profile Hospice Facility Auctioned Off In Bankruptcy
San Diego Hospice’s inpatient facility has gone to the highest bidder. After 50 bi... Read more
Industry News:
Long-Term Care Chain Increases Hospice Presence
Long-term care giant Kindred Healthcare Inc. is aiming to increase its presence in the w... Read more
Compliance:
OIG Greenlights Bridge Program Comprised Of Volunteers
3 factors keep proposed arrangement in the clear. The OIG has put its stamp of approva... Read more
Kickbacks:
Sidestep These Landmines When Furnishing Bridge Services
Follow these 5 steps to compliance. If you want to protect your free services program ... Read more
Audits:
Hospices In Region C Court Most RAC Scrutiny
Don’t be surprised if providers come looking to you for bundled payments. Recove... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Whistleblower Lawsuit Nets Former Employee $1.8 Million
Tip: Provide your employees with a place to report concerns, before they become whistleb... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Follow These 4 Steps To Meet ICD-10 Challenges Head On
Start your impact assessment yesterday. The switch to ICD-10 may not be easy, but you ... Read more
Hospice News:
Don't Forget Paper Records In HIPAA Security
Hospice notifies 5,000 patients of possible HIPAA breach. A North Carolina hospice is ... Read more
Hospice News:
Collect Data Now To Make Your Next Reporting Deadlines, CMS Urges
The deadlines for reporting hospice quality data this year have passed, but it’s n... Read more
Hospice News:
Claims System Glitch Derails Hospice Payments
HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor CGS has turned off Reason Code 32061 that was ina... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Tightens Belt In Face Of Sequestration Cuts
The 2 percent sequestration cuts that took effect April 1 are affecting hospices. For ... Read more
Hospice News:
Workers' Class Action Lawsuit Dogs Beleagured Hospice
Add a class action lawsuit to the list of San Diego Hospice’s woes. A suit was f... Read more
Hospice News:
National Chain Makes Acquisition In Alabama
LHC Group Inc. is wading further into the hospice market. It has acquired the assets of ... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Risk Your Compliance -- Or Your Reimbursement -- With Too-Early Certification
Know your certification basics. Question: I know we have until two days after admissio... Read more
Reimbursement:
Master Your Hospice Cap Exposure Before It Masters You
Tip: Maintain your own database to manage your cap status. If you were having trouble ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Combat New Hospice Coding Scrutiny With Thorough Coding
Could a hospice case mix adjustment system be in your future? Your hospice claims cont... Read more
Billing:
Watch For Your Next PEPPER Report
‘Live Discharges’ change welcomed by hospices. It may seem like you just g... Read more
Budget:
2 Percent Payment Cut To Hit Hospices In April
Reduction takes effect based on claim’s ‘through’ date. Tighten your... Read more
Compliance:
Don't Let ICD-10 Trip Up Your Coding Compliance
Start preparing now for October 2014 implementation of the new coding set. You’v... Read more
Hospice News:
Double Up On Your Quality Reporting
Submitting and collecting are both required to preserve your payment rates. Don’... Read more
Hospice News:
Better Coverage For Pediatric Hospice Care May Be On Deck
You may soon get better coverage for pediatric palliative hospice care, thanks to the Af... Read more
Hospice News:
Prepare Now For Hospice Cost Report Revisions
Start collecting data under the new Uniform Chart of Accounts, if you want to know what ... Read more
Hospice News:
Millions In Hospice Foundation Funds At Issue In Bankruptcy
How would you like your salary splashed across the local news? That’s what San Die... Read more
Hospice News:
HHA, Hospice Merge In California
Pioneer Home Health Care Inc. and Hospice of The Owens Valley in Bishop, Calif., have me... Read more
Hospice News:
Private Equity Firm Invests In Texas Hospice
A Texas hospice plans to grow further with an investment from a private equity firm. Hea... Read more
Hospice News:
CGS And Palmetto Parent Unveils New Brand
It may be hard to keep your MAC, ZPIC, RAC, QIO, and other Medicare contractors straight... Read more
Quality:
Take These 7 Steps To Ace Hospice Quality Reporting
Don’t mess up key components of your registration. The Hospice Quality Reporting... Read more
Compliance:
Weigh Quality Reporting Deactivation Carefully
Beware what you cannot take with you when you switch users. You should have one qualit... Read more
Legislation:
MedPAC Wants Payment Rates To Stay Flat
Plus: Commission wants more scrutiny of your long-stay patients. Congress won’t ... Read more
Regulation:
Get Ready For Satisfaction Surveys -- But They Won't Target Patients
What do you want CMS to ask your patients’ family and friends? You can expect ye... Read more
Reimbursement:
New Edits Will Reject These Hospice Claims
Pay attention to exact dates for your monthly billing practices. You’ll soon nee... Read more
Hospice News:
CMS Paves The Way For Data Collection On Visit Numbers, Length
Feds want data on a wide array of hospice services. The Centers for Medicare & Med... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Slapped With Big Fine For HIPAA Breach
Make sure you’re taking steps to protect patient information as required under HIP... Read more
Hospice News:
SNF-Hospice Care Combo Keeps Patients From Dying In Hospitals, Study Finds
A combination of skilled nursing facility and hospice care reduces dementia patients&rsq... Read more
Hospice News:
Short Hospice Stays Bedevil Industry, Patients
Short hospice stays aren’t very useful to patients or payers, but they are a growi... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Pays Hefty Price For Medicare Audits
San Diego Hospice has filed for bankruptcy reorganization amid an extensive and ongoing ... Read more
Hospice News:
Walgreen Co. Plans To Target Hospice Providers
Walgreen Co. wants your pharmacy business, as the industry giant will launch a national ... Read more
Hospice News:
Fraud-Fighting Bounty Encourages More Enforcement
Government watchdogs are raking in the dough from fraud enforcement, and the federal gov... Read more
Compliance:
OIG OKs Free Program Offering Non-Skilled Services
3 factors keep proposed arrangement in the clear. The OIG has put its stamp of approva... Read more
Kickbacks:
Beware Pitfalls In Furnishing Bridge Services
Follow these 5 steps to compliance.     If you want to protect your free... Read more
Reimbursement:
Keep '42' Codes Straight, CMS Tells Providers
Also: You’re still responsible for your quality data submission, not your vendor. ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Take These 6 Steps To ICD-10 Transition Success
A working budget should encompass every aspect of planning, including productivity train... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Settles Qui Tam Suit for $1.3 Million
Hospice owner personally liable for $200K. More evidence that the feds are cracking do... Read more
Hospice News:
OIG Highlights Marketing, GIP Fraud
The HHS Office of Inspector General’s latest semiannual report is playing the agen... Read more
Hospice News:
Keep Your Quality Data Reporting Duties Straight In New Year
January will be a busy month for hospices, quality reporting-wise. The hospice quality r... Read more
Hospice News:
Benchmark Yourself With This LOS Data
Want to see where you stack up against your peers when it comes to non-cancer lengths of... Read more
Hospice News:
Check Out This Educational Resource
If you’re seeking educational materials to introduce the concept of palliative car... Read more
Hospice News:
Data Mining To Drive Investigations
If your billing patterns make you stick out like a sore thumb, you may see pre-payment c... Read more
Hospice News:
Make Sure Your Records Are Legible
If paper records make up any part of your charting system, you’d better pay attent... Read more
Reader Question:
Nail Cancer Codes Under ICD-10
Tip: You’ll need to look for greater specifics under the new coding system. &nbs... Read more
Reimbursement:
Learn Occurrence Code 42 Lessons From PEPPER Reports
More hospice target areas may emerge. If you were unclear on how to use a certain disc... Read more
Billing:
Wouldn't You Like To Have A PEPPER Too?
Some hospices receive corrected reports. Not all hospices received a PEPPER report, bu... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Hospices Step Up In Face Of Superstorm
Hospice evacuated in one state. Hurricane season may be over, but winter storm season ... Read more
Compliance:
OIG Uses Data Mining To ID Fraud
Watchdog agency is intent on stopping fraud quickly with data analysis. The OIG has it... Read more
Studies & Surveys:
Researchers Call For Earlier Referrals For Cancer Patients
Payment policies create barriers to palliative care benefits. Cancer patients could be... Read more
Hospice News:
Make ADR Deadlines Or Risk Auto Denials
MAC targets claims for long-stay hospice patients. Don’t be late in responding t... Read more
Hospice News:
Medicare Audit Dogs California Hospice
 Beware: You may have to fight a reputational problem as well as a financial one if... Read more
Hospice News:
Beware HIPAA Fines Over Laptops
Remember, criminals don’t have to actually use your patients’ private health... Read more
Available Years:  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008