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Hospice Insider

Survey & Certification:
Skipping EP Testing May Land You On The Survey Citation List
Watch out for confusing rules regarding exercise of choice versus full-scale exercise. Do... Read more
Budget:
Providing More Hospice Services Saves Medicare $10K Per Hospice User
Medicare Care Choices Model continues to rack up savings. For the third year, Medicare's ... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Hospice M&A Continues Full Steam Ahead
Publicly traded chains gear up for yet more deals. As temperatures fall, the hospice merg... Read more
COVID-19:
Hospices Don’t Have To Worry About Accelerated Payment Takebacks For A While
If you've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, you can stop. With heavy burdens rangi... Read more
Reimbursement:
Take These 4 Steps To Prepare For Eventual Accelerated Payment Recoupment
An extended repayment schedule may be a last resort. Hospices have won some breathing roo... Read more
Funding:
Dig Into The AAP Details
Frequently Asked Question set reveals more info. To adequately plan for your eventual rep... Read more
Managed Care:
Soak Up New VBID Hospice Carve-In Info As Start Date Draws Closer
New year will mean new payment for affected hospices. You'd better find out more about th... Read more
Managed Care:
Hospice Item Set Changes Hit In A Matter Of Weeks
Make sure you're not late in prepping for Hospice Item Set changes scheduled for Jan. 1. ... Read more
Managed Care:
COVID-19 Vaccine Prep Work Begins
A new CMS interim final rule is laying out the policies and procedures surrounding the for... Read more
Managed Care:
CMS Makes A Nice List, Will Referral Sources Check It Twice?
Your potential referral sources and patients — not to mention competitors — can easily... Read more
Managed Care:
2 More Hospices Broaden Horizons With New Names
More hospices are rebranding away from the “hospice” name. In New Jersey: Samaritan H... Read more
Regulations:
Informal Guidance Eases Addendum Reimbursement Worries, But New Requirement Still Concerns Hospices
Expect addendum audits in due course. Hospices hoping they'd get official clarification o... Read more
Quality:
Visits In Last Days Of Life Measure Undergoes Major Revamp
New quality measure will be based on claims data. In the wake of ramped up scrutiny of th... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
From Coast To Coast, Hospice Deals Continue Strong
From for-profit chains to VNAs, hospices are merging, changing hands, and more. Pandemic ... Read more
Managed Care:
14 States, Territories Will Test Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In
Model will play out in 206 counties nationwide. To find out whether you may get swept int... Read more
Assessment:
HOPE Assessment Tool Implementation Gets Closer
Draft will eventually contribute to quality measures — and probably payment too. A new ... Read more
Hospice News:
MAC Medical Reviewers Target Long Stays, GIP In Newly Announced Topics
Just because CGS is the last HHH MAC to announce hospice topics, doesn't mean it will be t... Read more
Hospice News:
Recent Surveyor Guidance Could Help Hospices Get Into Facilities
A new memo updating visitation guidelines for nursing homes may make it easier to see your... Read more
Hospice News:
Download New HIS Manual
Make sure you're not late in prepping for Hospice Item Set changes scheduled for Jan. 1. ... Read more
Hospice News:
Is Your Agency On The QRP Good List?
Don't forget: Your potential referral sources and patients — not to mention competitors ... Read more
Regulations:
New Hospice Addendum Requirement Poses Major Challenges
Sidestep these pitfalls when implementing the confusing addendum. As if hospices don't h... Read more
Reimbursement:
Missing, Late, Invalid Addendums Will Carry Hefty Price
While the details are fuzzy, the consequences of addendum mess-up appear severe. Hospices... Read more
Compliance:
Heed These 10 Tips To Ace Addendum Before It Decimates Your Claims
  Pointer: Don't lose election form updates in the addendum shuffle. A lot is on t... Read more
COVID-19:
COVID-19 Testing Requirement Will Affect Your Staff
If you conduct your own tests, get your documentation ready. Your experience with testi... Read more
Quality:
New Care Compare Site Swallows Hospice Compare
Better functionality on mobile devices is one plus. A delayed revamp of Medicare's Compar... Read more
Hospice News:
Know The Ins And Outs Of When You Can Use Televisit HIS Data — And When You Can’t
Beware: Televisits don't count for imminent death measures. If you're not sure whether yo... Read more
Hospice News:
GIP, Long Stays Are Claims Reviewers’ First Targets Post-COVID
Medical review resumption is proceeding, despite COVID-19 burdens. The three HHH Medicare... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Forks Over $5.2 Million To Settle GIP, CHC Upcoding Charges
Higher-level care continues to be a flash point for hospice fraud investigations. Metropo... Read more
Compliance:
Are You Ready For Addendum Requirement Set To Hit Oct. 1?
It's past time to nail down your policies, procedures, and forms. If you thought Medicare... Read more
Reimbursement:
Hospices Will Get Less Than Proposed In FY 2021
A 2.4% increase is on the way. Pandemic-induced labor cost reductions mean hospices will ... Read more
Documentation:
Hospices Get Good News About Electronic Signatures
Plus: Contractors can't trigger the condition for payment — only patients. A regulato... Read more
Medical Review:
Brace For Return Of Medical Review
The review pause is over. Hospices may feel like their pandemic-related burdens are heavi... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Hospices Are Busy Buying, Selling, And Opening This Summer
Texas is an M&A hot spot. Private equity-backed St. Croix Hospice is adding new bran... Read more
Hospice News:
COVID-19 Hiatus From PEPPER Reports Is Over
New format contains the same info. Free benchmarking data from 2019 is now at hospices' f... Read more
Hospice News:
July HQRP Resumption Will Affect Your Pay Rates
Having trouble keeping straight which COVID-19 waiver flexibilities are still in effect an... Read more
Hospice News:
Lengthy Hospice, GIP Stays Lead To $3 Million Fraud Settlement
Hope Hospice in Fort Meyers, Florida, will pay $3.2 million to resolve allegations that it... Read more
Access:
You Can't Bill If You Can't Furnish Visits, CMS Says
Do telehealth visits count? Maybe. If assisted living, nursing home, and other facilities... Read more
Testing:
Don't Shoot Yourself In The Foot With Testing Battle Of Wills
It's up to facilities who they bar. If you throw down over whether your hospice or a faci... Read more
Regulations:
Can New Medicare Burden Reduction Office Live Up To Its Name?
Hospices need reduced regulatory burdens. Medicare is saying all the right words when it ... Read more
Compliance:
New Rule Moves Some Nondiscrimination Duties Off Hospices' Plates
Say goodbye to notices and taglines. The mainstream press may have taken note of how a r... Read more
COVID-19:
Hospice Captures 5% Of COVID-19 Discharges
After death, most discharges are to home. New Medicare beneficiary data may help you fill... Read more
Hospice News:
Medicare Extends Medicare Care Choices Model Demo
December 2021 is the new end date. Medicare's concurrent care demonstration project will ... Read more
Hospice News:
HOPE Tool Alpha Testing Still On Schedule For Fall
COVID-19 isn't derailing the development of Medicare's Hospice Outcomes & Patient Eval... Read more
Hospice News:
Providers Get Extra Time To File Cost Reports
Medicare has postponed cost report deadlines once again. The same: The deadline for cost ... Read more
Hospice News:
CMS Reprioritizes Surveys
Back in March, CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced that regular Medicare surveys would... Read more
Hospice News:
Dig Deeper If You Were Denied Accelerated Payments
If you can't figure out why you haven't been able to access Medicare accelerated payments ... Read more
Hospice News:
Here's When The VBID Model Applies
Effective dates for the Medicare Advantage hospice carve-in are clearer after an update fr... Read more
Hospice News:
California Sales Rep Sues Hospice Chain Employer
Coronavirus-related lawsuits from employees are underway. For example: A San Mateo, Calif... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Video Could Increase Benefit Access, Study Says
Physicians' discomfort with talking about end-of-life issues has blocked hospice access, b... Read more
Regulations:
Don't Miss These Inpatient Hospice Waivers
Hand sanitizer, fire drills, temporary walls addressed. The flow of regulatory waivers fo... Read more
Access:
Use This Surveyor Letter To Help Gain Facility Access
Even though CMS doesn't govern assisted living facilities, the guidance may still hold som... Read more
Compliance:
Are You Following The GAO's Best Practices For Drug Disposal In The Home?
The cost of in-home disposal products can be prohibitive. Hospices take many approaches t... Read more
COVID-19:
Weigh Your Choices Carefully When It Comes To QAPI Waiver
Saying ‘yes' to this waiver should not be automatic, expert urges. Just because a COVID... Read more
Finance:
HHS Offers A Few More Provider Relief Fund Puzzle Pieces
Plus: 45-day acceptance extension gives hospices breathing room. Trying to figure out how... Read more
Finance:
Take A Peek At Who Received CARES Act Provider Relief Funds
And you can see just how much they got. You can satisfy your curiosity about who in your ... Read more
Medicare Advantage:
Medicare Unveils How Much It Will Pay MA Plans For Hospice
MA plans must pay non-contracted hospices the same as FFS, for the first year. Hospices c... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Fraud Gets The Spotlight In New OIG Report
Aide supervision, drug coverage get mentions. The HHS Office of Inspector General doesn't... Read more
Hospice News:
Review Your Latest Hospice Quality Data
It's time to check out your next Hospice HIS provider preview reports and Hospice CAHPS pr... Read more
Hospice News:
DEA Limits Telehealth Hospice Prescribing
Hospices hoping to see flexibility for their patients regarding telehealth and prescribing... Read more
Reimbursement:
Proposed Rule Includes 2.6% Increase For 2021
Good news: SIA budget neutrality factor may be on the way out. At a mere 19 pages, the ne... Read more
Regulations:
Hospices Hope For Election Addendum Postponement
You have only a couple of more weeks to give CMS your 2 cents. A delay to the new electio... Read more
Election:
Model Addendum Form's Diagnosis Instructions May Go Too Far
Forms contain multiple problems. Another reason the new election and election addendum mo... Read more
COVID-19:
Waivers Aim To Help Hospices Through Pandemic
Are you taking advantage of the flexibilities CMS has offered? No one can say Medicare o... Read more
Finance:
Facility Access To Patients Dogs Hospices
New skilled nursing facility FAQs may help some. Hospices are facing a wide array of cr... Read more
Medical Review:
You Should Be Seeing A Medical Review Pause For COVID-19
OIG says it will be ‘reasonable,' too. You may be getting slammed with many things und... Read more
Hospice News:
Amedisys To Shell Out $235 Million For Aseracare
Chain's hospice locations will grow to 190 in 35 states. National chain Amedisys Inc. is ... Read more
COVID-19:
Docs, NPs Can Perform Hospice Face-To-Face Visits For Recerts Via Telehealth
Non-public-facing technologies like FaceTime, Skype are OK for visits. Every day brings ... Read more
Regulations:
Medicare Offers Host Of Regulatory Relief Measures In Face Of COVID-19
From extending comprehensive assessment deadlines to calling off routine surveys, CMS is ... Read more
Operations:
Use This Medicare Document To Gain Access To Your Patients In Facilities
Do you have your COVID-19 screening policies and procedures in place? Providers have a bi... Read more
Compliance:
Medicare Offers Guidance On Screening Patients For COVID-19
Check these 4 factors. Medicare is offering a helping hand on how to figure out who to ... Read more
Emergencies:
Hospices Face These Top COVID-19 Threats
Two-thirds of surveyed providers were short on equipment. Hospices are facing a vast ar... Read more
Strategy:
Use These Tips To Sidestep COVID-19 Pitfalls
What's your backup staffing strategy? Whether you are in a COVID-19 hot spot or a relativ... Read more
Hospice News:
New Virus Brings New Diagnosis Code Faster Than Usual
U07.1 assigned to COVID-19. If you are treating patients for COVID-19, there's a new diag... Read more
Hospice News:
Whistleblower Lawsuit Leads To $1.75 Million Settlement
Aggressive marketing goals and sham medical director payments have led to a hefty settleme... Read more
Finance:
With Cap Reports Submitted, Keep Wary Eye On The Future
MAC changes cap review schedule. If you reported a cap overage in your cap report due Ma... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
South Carolina Acquisition Powered By Private Equity Firm
Plus: Minnesota hospice buys assisted living facility. Hospice Care of South Carolina in... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Sidestep Emergency Preparedness Land Mines With This Expert Advice
Are you actually capturing 100 percent of your staff in training? The current COVID-19 s... Read more
Reimbursement:
Review Requirements For Emergency-Related Billing
Know how to use the condition code CMS originated for Hurricane Katrina billing. Being in... Read more
Compliance:
Don't Overlook This Serious Enrollment Threat
Beware the five-year lookback period. Hospices have a host of mission-critical issues to... Read more
Hospice News:
Medicare Shares First Hints At What Carve-In Reimbursement Will Look Like
Participation level for VBID model still unknown. Medicare has revealed more details abou... Read more
Hospice News:
Take Note Of Open Door Forum Info
Don't forget to check out your newest Hospice Compare data. The data on the site was refre... Read more
Hospice News:
Are You Billing Discharge Days Correctly?
Do you know how to bill for a day when a patient changes hospice care levels on that day? ... Read more
Hospice News:
Avoid This Common Documentation Error
Don't leave out Interdisciplinary Group documentation when you respond to a hospice medica... Read more
Hospice News:
Check Your HIS Facts Here
Brush up on Hospice Item Set deadlines with a revised fact sheet from Medicare. Reminder:... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospices Plan Inpatient Facilities
Hospice facilities continue to open across the nation. In Ohio: Aultman Alliance Communit... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Kickbacks Spark Enforcement Action
A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiring with the owners of a hospice and HHAs to... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
OIG Reports On Hospice Survey Flaws Continue To Impact Hospices
New fact sheets encouraging abuse reporting, legislation are inspired by the reports. Don... Read more
Budget:
President Trump Wants To Lower Hospice Rates Based On Site Of Service
Budget proposal also calls for intermediate sanctions for surveys. The idea of paying hos... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Ease Your Emergency Preparedness Burden With New Changes
Both inpatient and at-home hospice providers get a break. If you have overlooked Emergenc... Read more
Compliance:
Choose Which EP Changes You Implement Carefully
Plus: CMS urges providers to incorporate Coronavirus in EP plans. Don't feel like you nee... Read more
Quality:
Medicare Plans Major Hospice Compare Change
Get ready for Medicare Care Compare instead. One constant in the Medicare program is chan... Read more
Billing:
Know The Ins And Outs Of These MBI Scenarios
Tip: Death doesn't stop MBI lookup. Medicare has required hospices to use MBIs going on t... Read more
Mergers & Acquisitions:
Chains Focus On Hospice Development With Recent Deals
Plus: Another hospital exits hospice. The hospice market continues to be busy. Take a loo... Read more
Hospice News:
MedPAC Moves Forward With Hospice Reimbursement Freeze, Cap Cut
Commissioners also ready call for cap wage adjustment. The Medicare Payment Advisory Comm... Read more
Hospice News:
MAC Highlights Common GIP Denial Reason
If the reason for a patient's General Inpatient (GIP) stay is not related to the patient's... Read more
Hospice News:
CMS Introduces New Survey Methodology
Guidance the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued for 2020 “includes ... Read more
Hospice News:
Tune In For HIS Education
Get a review of Hospice Item Set (HIS) Data Submission Requirements from Medicare in a Mar... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospice Gets More Criticism From Media
Mainstream media is taking another swipe at hospice. “Patients Want To Die At Home, But ... Read more
Medical Review:
Medicare Payment Error Rate Falls Again
Hospices not based in hospitals saw the error rate dip below 9% last year. Medicare has j... Read more
Finance:
Prepare Now For March Cap Reporting Deadline
Even though you have a few days more than usual, you should get your PS&R data straigh... Read more
Regulations:
Keep An Eye On Medicare Carve-In Developments
Plus: Stay on top of your HIS submission rate, or risk your pay rate update. If you're ne... Read more
Managed Care:
Medicare Unveils Medicare Advantage Hospice Carve-In Details
New payment model comes with many worries for hospices. A first look at how Medicare Adva... Read more
Reimbursement:
Which Sounds Worse — A Cap Reduction Or An Across-The-Board Rate Cut?
MedPAC thinks a cap reduction is better. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission seems d... Read more
Budget:
Wage Index For Cap Would Hurt Rural Providers
Another cap change recommendation from MedPAC is on deck. How a wage index change to the ... Read more
Assessment:
You Can Still Sign Up To Test HOPE Tool
‘Alpha' testing will begin in the spring. Hospices interested in testing out the new HO... Read more
Hospice News:
Measure On Visits In Last Days Of Life Gets Push By NQF
Stay tuned for measure details. A new quality measure based on claims is on the horizon. ... Read more
Hospice News:
MAC Lists 6 Hospice Medical Review Topics
More hospice medical review topics means more ways your claims may come under the microsco... Read more
Hospice News:
Review Comprehensive Assessment Measure With New Tool
Go over the basics of Medicare's Hospice Comprehensive Assessment Measure with a recently ... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
GAO Takes Its Turn To Criticize Hospice Surveys
Surveyors should look at live discharge rate, new report urges. More evidence that the fe... Read more
Compliance:
Alternative Sanctions May Prove A Double-Edged Sword For Hospices
Warning: CMPs can put you out of business faster than decertification. If you think alter... Read more
Surveys & Certification:
Majority Of Cases Reviewed Failed Aide Supervisory Visit Requirement
Watch out: Tougher enforcement is ahead. With so much going on for hospices, it's easy to... Read more
Reimbursement:
Out With The Old, In With The New: MBIs
Warning: Don't drag your feet on the transition to billing with new Medicare numbers. Alo... Read more
Budget:
Advisory Agency Wants Hospice Rates To Stay Flat, Cap To Go Down
Will lawmakers listen to MedPAC? Taking the spotlight as Medicare's newest fraud-prone in... Read more
Hospice News:
Report To Congress Features Hospice Fraud
OIG applauds DRG proration. The HHS Office of Inspector General's Semiannual Report to Co... Read more
Hospice News:
Watch Out: SIP Window Is Closing
Hospices interested in participating in Medicare's forthcoming Primary Care First Model's ... Read more
Hospice News:
Regional Chain Makes South Carolina Acquisition
Heart of Hospice based in Columbia, South Carolina, has purchased the operations of Hearts... Read more
Hospice News:
LHC-LifePoint Buy 2 More Agencies
LHC Group Inc. and LifePoint Health are further expanding their joint venture with acquisi... Read more
Hospice News:
State Pays Millions To Settle False Claims Charges
State governments and hospice fraud settlements don't usually go hand-in-hand, but a recen... Read more
Hospice News:
Hospital Moves To Finalize Hospice Sale
Graham Regional Medical Center in Graham, Texas, has gotten approval to accept an undisclo... Read more
Hospice News:
Watch For These Increases In 2020
Along with the New Year come increases in patient payment amounts and more. In 2020, the ... Read more
Hospice News:
Did You Miss This Claim Resubmission Requirement?
Don't lose out on your rightful reimbursement because you fail to resubmit claims that wer... Read more
Hospice News:
Beware This LCD Change
Don't expect to get diagnosis coding specifics in your Local Coverage Decisions going forw... Read more
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