ALBANY, N.Y. (May 12, 2022)—The New York State Medicaid department released their durable medical equipment (DME) manual update, effective June, 1 2022. Per the 202-page manual, all CPAP and BiPAP supplies that were formerly bundled with a new PAP set-up will be unbundled as of June 1.
Heated humidifiers (E0562) and cool humidifiers (E0561) were also unbundled from a new CPAP or BiPAP set up, and will be paid separately.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 22, 2022)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2022)—Funding opens door for more than 20 states/territories to participate in Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person program, which has contributed billions to help seniors and people with disabilities safely transition from institutional care to independence in their homes and communities
BOSTON (March 29, 2022)—Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that home health agency Compassionate Homecare, Inc. has agreed to pay $6.53 million to MassHealth to resolve allegations that it billed MassHealth for services that were not authorized by a physician. In addition, up to $375,000 will be set aside for payment of unpaid wages for former Compassionate employees.
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 22, 2022)—Seven New York state homecare providers have filed suit against the United States’ Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the New York equivalent Department of Health (NYDOH). The suit, filed late last week, alleges inequitable and arbitrary disbursement of funds provided by the American Rescue Plan.
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 17, 2022)—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) is working with the North East Medical Equipment Providers Association (NEMEP) on legislative efforts to pass rate floor bills in the New York state legislature that would require Medicaid managed care organizations to pay at least 100% of the state Medicaid fee schedule.
DENVER (March 4, 2022)—The Justice Department has concluded that the state of Colorado unnecessarily segregates people with physical disabilities in nursing facilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department’s findings, detailed in a letter to Colorado Governor Jared Polis, follow a thorough and multi-year investigation into the state’s system of care for people with physical disabilities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 1, 2022)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined a large group of likeminded organizations in urging leaders in both houses of Congress and both parties to ensure that Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) remain part of any package that moves forward.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (January 28, 2022)—BAYADA Home Health Care Inc. is laying off nearly 700 employees in the state of Florida.
Notices went out Monday, Jan. 24, to the impacted employees, with layoffs effective as of April 1, 2022.
The company is closing its Assistive Care State Program, part of the state’s Medicaid home health program, eliminating 12 job positions and 682 employees.
LANSING, Mich. (Nov. 18, 2021)—Amy Bassano, former deputy director for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has joined national healthcare consulting firm Health Management Associates (HMA), taking the helm as a managing director of Medicare services.
JACKSON, Miss. (October 28, 2021)—Mississippi home medical equipment (HME) stakeholders secured a significant measure of relief when the state’s legislature eliminated a long-standing 5% reduction in Medicaid rates for HME, effective July 1, 2021.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a new “one-stop shop” for state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders on medicaid.gov to advance transparency and innovation for home- and community-based services.
ANKENY, Iowa (September 28, 2021)—When individuals with complex health needs receive clinically appropriate, home-delivered meals for 13 weeks, their overall medical spend and emergency department use significantly decreased for the next six months, according to just-released results of a pilot program between Mom’s Meals and UPMC Health Plan’s Medicaid physical health managed care plan, UPMC for You.
RALEIGH, N.C. (September 16, 2021)—North Carolina Medicaid has agreed to extend the 5% Medicaid rate increase granted to help home medical equipment (HME) suppliers respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for an additional two months. The agency had discussed ending the increase for HME on Sept. 30, 2021; it will now remain in place through Nov. 30, 2021.
OAKLAND (August 26, 2021)—California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $3.31 million settlement against home respiratory services company, SuperCare Health Inc. (SuperCare) for defrauding the state and federal government by knowingly billing Medicare and Medi-Cal for servicing ventilators that were no longer medically necessary.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 19, 2021)—Stakeholders representing health care providers and end users with medical needs developed a white paper to educate payers and state Medicaid programs on the types of products and services needed to successfully manage an individual’s bowel and bladder needs in a home-based setting to achieve the Triple Aim of improving patient experience and health outcomes while reducing overall cost.
