WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit feedback from the public on how best to enhance Medicare Advantage (MA) data capabilities and increase public transparency.
HHS
WASHINGTON—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), finalized a rule to streamline enrollment in the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), making coverage more affordable for an estimated 860,000 people. CMS estimates the improvements will save older adults and people with disabilities nearly 19 million hours in paperwork each year and reduce state administrative burden by more than 2 million hours annually.
WASHINGTON—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have responded to a May 2023 data breach in Progress Software’s MOVEit Transfer software on the corporate network of Maximus Federal Services, Inc. (Maximus), a contractor to the Medicare program, that involved Medicare beneficiaries’ personally identifiable information (PII) and/or protected health information (PHI). No HHS or CMS systems were impacted.
FRISCO, Texas—Addus HomeCare Corporation, a provider of home care services, commented on the proposed new rule announced last week by the Biden Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) known as “Assuring Access to Medicaid Services.” The proposed rule is in addition to those adopted under the Obama Administration in 2016 and incorporates new requirements covering additional Medicaid Services, including home- and community-based services (HCBS).
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is releasing ownership data for all Medicare-certified hospice and homecare agencies. For the first time, anyone can now review detailed information on the ownership of more than 6,000 hospices and 11,000 home health agencies certified to participate in the Medicare program on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D Rate Announcement that finalized payment policies for these programs. According to HHS, the final policies in the Rate Announcement aim to improve payment accuracy and ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent.
WASHINGTON (December 20, 2022)—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the annual release of the Department's National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: 2022 Update - PDF.
WASHINGTON (December 6, 2022)—The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a bulletin focused on how to avoid HIPAA violations when using online tracking technologies. These online tracking technologies, like Google Analytics or Meta Pixel, collect and analyze information about how internet users are interacting with a regulated entity’s website or mobile application.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 14, 2022)—Recognizing the complex issues involved in developing regulations to implement the advanced explanation of benefits (AEOB), the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is requesting information from the public on a range of issues to better inform future rulemaking.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 11, 2022)—Three individuals, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Team Gleason filed a suit against Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra last week over Medicare home health benefits. The plaintiffs claim Becerra is violating their rights under the Medicare Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by impeding and restricting the availability, accessibility and coverage of home health services.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 27, 2022)—The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) has alerted the health care industry to a monkeypox-themed phishing campaign targeting health care providers, including home health agencies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 22, 2022)—The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Administration for Community Living, released the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. It highlights nearly 350 actions the federal government will take to support family caregivers in the coming year and more than 150 actions that can be adopted at other levels of government and across the private sector to build a system to support family caregivers.
WASHINTON, D.C. (September 9, 2022)—More than 1,700 Medicare providers have indications that they fraudulently billed Medicare for telehealth services, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). These providers billed telehealth services for about half a million beneficiaries and received a total of $127.7 million in Medicare fee-for-service payments.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 23, 2022)—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has awarded approximately $25 million in planning grants to five new states and territories to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program. With these awards, 41 states and territories across the country will now participate in MFP.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 7, 2022)—On Friday, June 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), notified states that they now have an additional year—through March 31, 2025—to use funding made available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to enhance, expand and strengthen home- and community-based services (HCBS) for people with Medicaid who need long-term services and supports.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 2022)—Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) sometimes delayed or denied beneficiaries access to services according to a recent Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) report. The denials occurred even when the requests met Medicare coverage rules. MAOs also denied payments to providers for some services that met both Medicare coverage rules and MAO billing rules.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2022)—The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to request an extension of the public health emergency (PHE) declaration, which is set to expire in a few weeks, so that long-term and post-acute care providers can continue to offer the most efficient and effective care possible to the nation’s most vulnerable population.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 22, 2022)—Medicare paid a total $6.6 billion to nonhospice providers for services provided to hospice beneficiaries between 2010 and 2019, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 4, 2022)—The U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 13, 2021)—Ninety-five members of the House of Representatives have joined a Congressional sign-on letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to finalize the durable medical equipment (DME) rule and extend the 50/50 blended rates for suppliers serving rural areas.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 1, 2021)—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made $25.5 billion in funds available starting Sept. 29th. HHS is now accepting applications for General Distribution Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments. HHS is also accepting requests for reconsideration of Phase 3 payment calculations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 14, 2021)—The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.