Eli's Hospice Insider

Hospices waiting for official notice of Medicaid rates will find they look very familiar, since they are almost the same as Medicare rates. See the rates -- $153.65 (Routine Home Care), $895.91 (Continuous Home Care), $167.07 (Inpatient Respite Care), and $682.59 (General Inpatient Care) -- in a Sept. 7 CMS memo at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/Hospice/Downloads/hospicerates2013.pdf. The Inpatient Respite Care rate varies the most in comparison with Medicare rates for fiscal year 2013, which are in a transmittal at www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/Downloads/R2497CP.pdf. Rates took effect Oct. 1.