WASHINGTON—According to a new report on the unmet needs of seniors across the United States, four out of five seniors who needed a home-delivered or congregate meal in 2021 did not receive one; and over 3.6 million, or 18%, of low-income older adults were food insecure.
WASHINGTON, DC—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should require hospice care providers to report all allegations of abuse and neglect immediately to survey agencies, regardless of whether the alleged perpetrator is affiliated with the hospice, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged in a new report.
The Department of Health and Human Services neither agreed nor disagreed with GAO's recommendation.
WASHINGTON (December 20, 2022)—Most of the providers who were enrolled in Medicare under COVID-19-related waivers and then had their enrollments revoked were durable medical equipment, prosthetics and orthotics (DMEPOS) suppliers, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 10, 2021)—The Government Accounting Office (GAO) is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to better track the effects of pandemic-related changes on programs for home- and community-based services (HCBS). The changes include allowing evaluations by telehealth, allowing other settings for care and relaxing provider qualifications.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 5, 2019)—Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report titled, “Medicare And Medicaid CMS Should Assess Documentation Necessary to Identify Improper Payments.” For the report, the GAO examined the portion of the improper payment rates for Medicare and Medicaid programs that are attributed to insufficient documentation.
By Kristin Easterling
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 2, 2017)—AAHomecare’s Kim Brummett and Mina Uehara recently participated in a Government Accounting Office (GAO) interview regarding patient access in non-competitive bid areas and followed up with a letter to the Agency summarizing key points from the session. In discussing the effects on patient access since the 2016 cuts, AAHomecare notes:
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."
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 8, 2016)—A newly released GAO report, “Medicare: Utilization and Expenditures for Complex Wheelchair Accessories,” was presented to Congress on June 1, 2016, just 30 days before prices derived from CMS’s flawed bidding program for home medical equipment are set to take effect for specialized complex rehab technology (CRT) wheelchairs used by individuals with profound mobility and disability challenges.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 6, 2013—AAHomecare reports that, according to a letter Humana sent out recently to its members, starting July 1 the company will use rates from CMS’ national bidding program to reimburse out-of-network DME providers. Members are advised to change providers if theirs is unwilling to accept the lower rates.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 1, 2012—Dina Overland of the Fierce Markets Healthcare Group reports that the Medicare Advantage pay-for-performance program is already producing quality improvements in its early stages, according to a new study from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
MINNETONKA, Minn., June 11, 2012–UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, announced that it will continue to offer popular protections included in the 2010 health care reform law, no matter how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the law’s constitutionality.
