WASHINGTON, DC (June 25, 2021)--New legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate and House on Thursday that would strengthen and expand access to quality homecare services and support the caregiving workforce that provides them.
According to a summary of the bill provided by the Senate Committee on Aging, the Better Care Better Jobs Act, a key element of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, would:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 9, 2021)—Clover Health, a technology company committed to improving health equity for America’s underserved seniors, announced plans to scale its in-home primary care program, Clover Home Care, through the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Direct Contracting model.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 9, 2021)—As part of President Biden’s commitment to increasing access to vaccinations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an additional payment amount for administering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 4, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on how states can receive enhanced funding, provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), to increase access to home- and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries.
ARLINGTON, Va. (June 1, 2021)—Home medical equipment (HME) suppliers in rural and other non-bid areas received significant support in the April 2020 Cares Act through measures that extended the 50/50 blended rate for rural suppliers through the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and for the first time provided a 75/25 rate (a blend using 75% current adjusted rates and 25% unadjusted rates) for suppliers in other non-bid areas for the duration of the PHE.
NEW YORK (June 1, 2021)—ConcertoCare, a risk-bearing in-home primary care provider for seniors, was named a Direct Contracting Entity (DCE) by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center). As a DCE, ConcertoCare (listed as Perfect Health by CMMI, dba ConcertoCare) will now be able to offer its world-class care solution to Medicare patients who would benefit from advanced primary care in the home.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 25, 2021)—The Senate has confirmed Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as the next administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The vote was 55 to 44 in favor of her confirmation. Brooks-LaSure will be the first Black woman to hold the position.
Today, leaders in the homecare industry shared their reactions to the news.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 9, 2021)—For a short period early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded its Accelerated and Advanced Payments (AAP) Program to Medicare providers and suppliers, including DME and home health suppliers. The expanded program was available for suppliers starting March 28, 2020, and the suspension of the program was announced a month later in April.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2021)—Last week, the Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 1868, extending the pause on 2% Medicare sequester cuts though the end of 2021. Without Congressional action, those cuts would go back into effect on April 1.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued Change Request (CR) 12085—Correction to Period Sequence Edits on Home Health Claims.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 3, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Revised January 2021 DMEPOS Fee Schedule. In the announcement, CMS stated that errors were identified in the original fee schedule that was published on Dec. 11, 2020 and this new fee schedule includes adjustments to 919 HCPCS codes.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 2, 2021)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has received additional clarification on Medicare coverage policies for home health agencies.
NAHC has reported on responses from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on several key outstanding question. In that report NAHC noted follow-up was needed on two of CMS’s responses.
WASHINGTON, DC (February 26, 2021)—The Council for Quality Respiratory Care—a coalition of the nation's leading home respiratory therapy providers and manufacturing companies—partnered with the American Association for Homecare and The VGM Group in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Acting Administrator Elizabeth Richter urging the agency to finalize the
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 24, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that efforts are underway to support Texas in response to severe winter storms that have affected the state over the past several days. On Feb. 17, 2021, Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Norris Cochran declared a public health emergency (PHE) for Texas retroactive to Feb.11, 2021.
MADISON, Wis. (February 23, 2021)—Husch Blackwell’s Hospice & Palliative Care team secured a $44 million reduction of an alleged overpayment for a hospice client involved in an audit of Medicare payments. The auditor, a contractor hired by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) to audit hospices, had used statistical extrapolation to find this extraordinary overpayment amount.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 4, 2021)—Late last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2020 Medicare Fee-For-Service Supplemental Improper Payment Data. This is an annual report published by CMS's Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program that is intended to measure the improper payments made in the Medicare FFS program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 29, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added the 2018 calendar year to publicly-available online files of the Post-Acute Care and Hospice Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use Files.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 26, 2021)— The Health and Human Services Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has launched an audit of home health services provided through telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency to verify that providers aren’t doing more than they’re supposed to do to qualify for reimbursement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 22, 2021)—A definition of “reasonable and necessary” was included of the recently finalized rule, Medicare Program; Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (MCIT) and Definition of ‘‘Reasonable and Necessary’’.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 15, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a signature accomplishment of the new Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics (OBRHI). This final rule builds on the efforts to drive interoperability, empower patients, and reduce costs and burden in the health care market by promoting secure electronic access to health data in new and innovative ways.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 14, 2021) -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule on Tuesday that propels innovative technology so Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest, most advanced devices. The action is designed to help smooth the Medicare coverage pathway for innovative products, resulting in faster access to new devices for America’s seniors.
