In the News: Home Health Prospective Payment System (PPS) Update
(November 30, 2010) The proposed 2011 home health payment rates have been released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Contained within this Federal Register posting rates are new claims data collection codes, as well as a focus preventing the provision of unnecessary home health services. Along with the 2011 rate calculations, there are new coding requirements, which came from the recommendations presented in 2009 by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Read more here.
In the News: FDA MedWatch
(November 30, 2010) In order to compile a complete medication profile, providers are expected to include not only the prescription medications that their patients are taking, but also all medications, including over the counter [OTC] medications and dietary and herbal supplements. For that reason, it is important that providers are alert to and aware of all Federal Drug and Food Administration [FDA] releases. Dietary and herbal supplements have seen an increase in recalls in this month’s FDA MedWatch recalls and alerts. These recalls have all been issued as a result of FDA laboratory analysis of the supplements and are primarily relative to the finding of undeclared ingredients. Read the full article.
In the News: ICD 10 Implementation Compliance
(November 30, 2010) A new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website is up and operational. It is the ICD-10 website http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/01_Overview.asp. This website is designed to assist health care providers change over from the current International Classification of Diseases [ICD] -9 to the CD-10 medical diagnosis and inpatient procedure coding system. Read more.
In the News: CMS Value-Based Purchasing/Pay-for Performance Programs
(October 19, 2010) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continue to move forward on the Medicare Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program. Both hom health and hospice providers will be affected as this initiative is expanded beyond the first provider setting. Hospital providers are required to meet defined performance standards in order to receive incentive payments. These incentive payments come out of a fund set-aside for individual hospitals to earn back money in accordance with their overall score. This score is derived from the hospital's annual data reporting. The funds for this are anticipated to come out of the hospital's annual market basket increase/inflationary adjustment. Read the full article.
In the News: Federal Home Health and Hospice Action Initiatives
(October 18, 2010) It is important that home health and hospice providers monitor legislative and regulatory initiatives that have the potential to impact their operations. There are numerous such legislative and regulatory initiatives. Home health and hospice providers are encouraged to address their concerns and desires to their legislators in addition to the ongoing monitoring of the legislative and regulatory process. Read the full article.
In the News: Physician and Health Care Professional Enrollment
(October 14, 2010) Recently the interim final rule regarding the need for health care professionals and physicians ordering or referring patients for services or covered items to enroll in the National Provider Identifiers [NPIs] process was released. While at first glance the health care professional and physician enrollment requirement might not appear to be of concern to DMEPOS, home health and hospice providers, it does in fact impact their claims submission and billing process. Read more.
In the News: CMS Updates
(October 14, 2010) Recently CMS updated its website’s Hospice Questions and Answers section. There were revisions and updates to previously listed Questions and Answers, and the following highlights examples of questions revised or newly listed. View updates.
HCCIS posts newsletter and employment practices update
(October 12, 2010) The fall edition of the HCCIS newsletter has now been posted along with the employment practices update which addresses liabillity risks associated with leased workers. You can find the newest publication here.
In the News: Children's Curative and Hospice Concurrent Care
(October 6, 2010) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released updated information regarding the Medicaid and Medicaid-expansion Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to state health and Medicaid officials. The announcement highlighted the new requirement for providing children with concurrent hospice and curative care. Read more here.
In the News: Food and Drug Administration Recalls and Safety Alerts
(October 1, 2010) Recent past safety and recall alerts have identified a number of commonly prescribed medications as being problematic to consumers. Examples of these commonly prescribed medications noted in the recent safety, labeling and recall alerts include asthma and COPD inhalers, Plavix, Zocor, Avandia and Zuprexa [adolescents]. The product recall process is a lengthy one, in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) progresses. As the process continues it can lead up several actions, including a recall or safety alert. Read the full article.
In the News: Family Caregivers Study and Resources
(October 1, 2010) Free resources and tools are now available through CHAMP [Collaboration for Homecare Advances in Management and Practice]’s website. This organization is a national initiative designed to advance older persons’ home care excellence. It is housed at the Center for Home Care Policy and Research at the Visiting Nurse Services of New York. Read more here.
Insurance Program offered to nurse staffing agencies
(September 29, 2010) The HCCIS insurance program is now available to nurse staffing agencies in a limited number of states. For full details, please call your underwriter or (800) 233-1957
In the News: Money follows the person rebalancing (MFP) demonstration extended
(September 8, 2010) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law No. 111-148, was signed into law on March 23, 2010. This law, more commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), includes approaches to tackle gaps in community services availability for individuals with disabilities. It expands existing strategies and initiates new ones to manage the needs of people living with disabilities and elderly individuals requiring long-term care. Read the full article.
In the News: Electronic Medical Records: Surveyor Guidelines Issued
The protection of confidentiality is a key concern relative to the use of Electronic Health Records [EHRs] and as a result, concurrent with the continued focus on confidentiality is the push to increase the use of electronic medical records. One of the more recent releases by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] described the approach for its surveyors to follow when electronic health records are in use at the site being surveyed. Read more here.
In the News: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Appeals Revisions
The Medicare, Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program [SCHIP] Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) impacted the Medicare claim appeals process. As a result of BIPA, Section 1869 (c) of the Social Security Act (the Act), was also amended. These Acts and their impacts in turn required changes to the 42 Code of Federal Regulations in relationship to the appeals process. CMS recently released a memorandum focused on the revisions and changes made in order to meet 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 401 and 405, Medicare program requirements. This newly released memorandum addresses changes made to comply with the changes detailed in the Medicare Claims Appeals Procedures; Interim Final Rule (IFR). This lengthy memorandum contained multiple updates, including glossary additions and revisions, as well as revisions to the existing appeals process. Read more here.
In the News: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Activities and Alerts
This has been an active time for FDA alerts that have widespread applications for consumers, including those in community-based provider settings. One critical alert is the announcement regarding tainted skin sanitizer products. The Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory’s products were those recalled. This lab recalled a long list of products in conjunction with the FDA and CMS alert. This alert also recommended disposal of these products, as these products were found to have high levels of disease-causing bacteria. Read the full article.
In the News: White House Office of Health Reform Established
Hospice and home care providers are aware that Health Care Reform is a top priority for the new administration in the White House. This increased scrutiny and priority raises concerns regarding reimbursement and coverage changes. While the White House appointments to the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services has run into some glitches, i.e., former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s nomination ran into difficulty in the Senate hearings and led to his eventual withdrawal of his name from consideration, the movement towards health care reform is still progressing. Read the full article.
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