WASHINGTON, D.C (October 19, 2016)—A study released today by the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) shows that Medicare reimbursement rates for home medical equipment cover just 88 percent of overall costs for companies providing this service.
CMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 18, 2016)—Dan Starck, chair of CQRC, responds to the GAO Access Report on Competitive Bidding:
"While the CQRC has supported competitive bidding in concept, we remain deeply concerned about the implementation of the competitive bidding program. Today's report shows that fewer beneficiaries are receiving home oxygen therapy in light of competitive bidding."
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (October 17, 2016)—Almost Family, Inc.—a leading provider of home health nursing services—today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the entity holding the home health and hospice assets of Community Health Systems, Inc. (referred to herein as CHS Home Health, pertaining solely to the home health and hospice business of CHS).
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 12, 2016)—David J. Totaro, chairman of the Partnership for Medicaid Home-Based Care (PMHC), issued the following statement today in response to a recent call by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning improved program integrity in personal care services:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2016)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) announced the participants in the Part D Enhanced Medication Therapy Management (MTM) model.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 29, 2016)—The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare—a coalition of home health providers dedicated to improving the integrity, quality and efficiency of home health care for our nation's seniors—commended Congressmen Tom Price, MD (R-GA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), as well as original cosponsors Reps.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 28, 2016)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 2017 Medicare Advantage premiums will remain stable and more enrollees will have access to higher quality plans while, for the seventh straight year, enrollment is projected to increase to a new all-time high.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 22, 2016)—In July, CMS proposed new bundled payment models that continue the administration’s progress to shift Medicare payments from rewarding quantity to rewarding quality by creating strong incentives for hospitals and clinicians to deliver better care to patients at a lower cost. These proposed new bundled payment models focus on heart attacks, heart bypass surgery and hip fracture surgery.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 20, 2016)—The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) today commended the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to delay implementation of the Home Health Pre-Claim Review Demonstration to additional states including Florida, which was originally scheduled for October 1.
WATERLOO, Iowa (September 7, 2016)—VGM’s Government Relations team is spearheading a grassroots effort to recruit hospital executives to join the fight against Medicare’s most recent cut to reimbursements.
On July 1 DME providers incurred an additional 25 percent cut for Medicare reimbursements due to the Competitive Bidding Program. Many sectors across the health care industry are feeling the aftershock of difficulties stemming from the DME industry.
CEO: $60 Million ClearCare Funding Puts Honor, Hometeam on Notice
Home care software company ClearCare has secured a $60 million funding round, led by global investment firm Battery Ventures. (Tim Mullaney/Home Health Care News)
WASHINGTON, D.C (August 26, 2016)—Home medical equipment providers who serve our nation’s military personnel are being hit with shocking new Medicare reimbursement cuts thanks to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to widely apply rates from its competitive bidding program outside its original footprint in metro areas to now encompass the entire country.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 24, 2016)—Yesterday, AAHomecare submitted comments on CMS-1651-P, a rule from CMS that proposes to make some adjustments to the Competitive Bidding Program. CMS proposed to make several positive changes, such as increasing the bid ceiling to the 2015 unadjusted fee schedule and expanding the appeals process for breach of contract actions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 23, 2016)—Continuing the commitment to greater data transparency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) released last week privacy-protected data on the prescription drugs that were paid for under the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program in 2014. This is the second release of the data on an annual basis, which shows what prescription drugs were prescribed to Medicare Part D enrollees by physicians and other health care professionals.
—Via CMS, WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2016)—Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the popular Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Ratings to incorporate new measures, giving families more information at their fingertips to help them make important decisions about care. These new measures look at successful discharges, emergency visits and re-hospitalizations, and complement other nursing home measures previously announced in April.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2016)—Since becoming acting administrator, I have spoken frequently about to the importance of moving to the next chapter in implementing the Affordable Care Act. This new chapter goes beyond providing people with quality, affordable coverage—but making sure that we are delivering patient-centered care to all consumers at critical stages of their lives.
—Via AAHomecare WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 10, 2016)—Last week, CMS announced that medical necessity no longer has to be met for replacement of essential accessories for a beneficiary-owned CPAP device or RAD. CMS and CMS contractors will now assume that beneficiary-owned CPAP devices and RADs have met their medical necessity requirements through the 13-month continuous usage.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 8, 2016)—A new national poll of nearly 2,000 registered voters over age 65 sponsored by Bring the Vote Home (BTVH) found that a large majority of U.S. seniors oppose a Medicare policy requiring a government contractor to approve claims for physician-prescribed home health care services, which are often recommended by doctors for elderly patients following hospitalization to ensure a smooth transition from the acute setting to the home.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 3, 2016)—Medicare announced that the average basic premium for a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan in 2017 is projected to remain relatively stable at an estimated $34 per month. This represents an increase of approximately $1.50 over the actual average premium of $32.56 in 2016.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 2, 2016)—The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare—a coalition of home health providers dedicated to improving the integrity, quality, and efficiency of home health care for our nation's seniors—has expressed disappointment that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proceeding with the implementation of the pre-claim review demonstration applicable to all home health agencies in the state of Illinois on August 1.