WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 7, 2021)—On an annual basis, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issues a financial report that provides fiscal and high-level performance results that allow for the assessment of HHS’s performance over the previous fiscal year.
hospice
CLEARWATER & SARASOTA, Fla. (December 7, 2021)—Empath Health is pleased to announce Rhonda Sanders as its Chief Mission Access Officer, a senior-level position charged with helping Empath grow as a customer-driven organization and sparking growth in consumers, payers and referral sources for each service line.
Updated Dec. 1, 2021, at 3:22 p.m. to include statement from NAHC.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (November 30, 2021)—A judge has blocked enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers in 10 rural states pending a trial over whether the federal government exceeded its authority in issuing the nationwide requirement.
SUNRISE, Fla. (November 10, 2021)—Interim HealthCare Inc., a franchise network of homecare, senior care, home health, hospice and health care staffing services, released a new national study examining the shifting perspectives around access to medical care and changing opinions on health care careers brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (November 9, 2021)—IntellaTriage, a provider of after-hours nurse-based phone triage, has announced the addition of Ashley Calloway as director of clinical operations. In this role, Calloway will provide strategic leadership and direction for all clinical functions, ensuring nurses are sufficiently supported and patients receive the highest quality of care.
TORONTO (November 9, 2021)—Integracare Inc., a provider of private home health care in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario, has acquired Eldercare Home Health Inc.
Eldercare Home Health has been providing registered nurse supervised and case managed home health care in Toronto since 1995. Eldercare Home Health has served thousands of clients and families throughout Toronto focusing exclusively on providing high quality personal support services and home health care for seniors.
HARRISBURG, Penn (November 5, 2021)—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Geisinger Community Health Services (GCHS) has agreed to pay $18 million+ to resolve allegations of civil liability for submitting claims to Medicare for hospice and home health services that violated Medicare rules and regulations. GCHS voluntarily disclosed the violations.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (November 3, 2021)—Complia Health, a home health and hospice technology solutions provider, announced the launch of Suncoast Mobile Edge, a mobile electronic visit verification (EVV) solution being released as an enhancement to the company’s Suncoast software platform. This new offering further demonstrates the company’s commitment to delivering a world class consumer and caregiver experience that advances proactive, predictive health management.
Updated Nov. 3 at 7:22 a.m. with statement from Bill Dombi.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 2, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its awaited final rule affecting home health today, expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model (HHVBP) and increasing payment rates for home health by 3.2% in 2022.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 2, 2021)—At a recent virtual event, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) leaders, including Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Director Liz Fowler, unveiled the agency’s refreshed strategic vision for developing, implementing, and evaluating new care delivery and payment model demonstrations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 29, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has submitted a proposal to conduct a mode experiment to test the effects of a web-based mode on response rates and scores, to the Office of Management and Budget.
The CMS proposal, an information collection request titled The Home Health Care CAHPS Survey (HHCAHPS) Mode Experiment, would be an addition to the three currently approved modes – mail, telephone and mail combined.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (October 28, 2021)—Encompass Health Corp. has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against former executive April Anthony in state District Court in Dallas County, Texas, alleging breach of her employment agreement with Encompass Health, including breach of non-competition and non-solicitation obligation, and for misappropriation of trade secrets.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 26, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated Chapter 9 of the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual to provide clarification for two hospice items:
NEW YORK (October 26, 2021)—Wellspring Capital Management, a leading private equity firm headquartered in New York, announced that it has partnered with management to complete the acquisition of Caring Brands International, Inc. (CBI). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 12, 2021)—Hospice providers have been anxiously awaiting additional information on two new Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) measures:
• Hospice Visits in Last Days of Life (HVLDL)
• Hospice Care Index (HCI)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 8, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted the annual update of the Post-Acute Care and Hospice Provider Public Use File (PAC PUF) with data for 2019. The PAC PUF now has data available for years 2013-2019.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2021)—Registration is now open for the National Association of Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) Fall Forum, a live online event featuring 30 hours of essential education for homecare and hospice professionals.
Although the 2021 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo was canceled, the NAHC Fall Forum, Nov. 2-10, will offer what you have come to expect from NAHC: the best education in homecare and hospice, taught by the experts you know and trust.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (October 1, 2021)—Husch Blackwell’s Hospice & Palliative Care team successfully represented hospices who were facing a 2% payment reduction penalty for Fiscal Year 2022 based on alleged noncompliance with Hospice Quality Program Reporting Program (HQRP) requirements.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 participants in the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model. There is a more than two-fold increase in the number of model enrollees covered by participating MA plans in 2022 compared to 2021.
LAFAYETTE, La. (September 9, 2021)—LHC Group, Inc. announced significant expansions of its nationwide footprint, resources and service capabilities. The company has entered into an agreement to purchase Brookdale Health Care Services agencies from the recently formed home health, hospice and outpatient therapy venture between HCA Healthcare and Brookdale Senior Living Inc.
LAFAYETTE, La. (September 7, 2021)—LHC Group, Inc. announced it has finalized its previously announced agreement to purchase Heart of Hospice from EPI Group, LLC—a deal that expands the company’s hospice footprint in five states. The agreement was first announced on June 2, 2021.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (September 1, 2021)—Complia Health, a home health and hospice technology solutions provider, announced the appointment of Terry Richards as chief technology officer. Richards’ addition underscores the company’s commitment to delivering a world class consumer and caregiver experience that ensures proactive, predictive health management.