WiHPCA is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information from Hospice News and other publications:
· How Emerging Hospice Regulations Could Impact Providers
Increased hospice oversight aimed at curbing fraud in the industry could come with a mixed bag of financial and operational impacts for providers. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has honed in on hospice program integrity, rolling out a swath of new measures to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in the space. During the past two years, CMS has introduced new regulations, updated survey process, increased auditing activity and enhanced reviews of providers’ claims, patient eligibility and quality data. Read more…
· CMS: Nearly 400 Hospices Considered for ‘Administrative Action’ as Program Integrity Efforts Heat Up
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering administrative action against 400 hospices, which could include revocation of their Medicare certification. The agency has been mobilizing against hospice fraud this year. In addition to new regulations and updated survey processes, CMS has been conducting unannounced onsite visits. To date, CMS personnel have appeared at 7,000 locations, with plans to visit every hospice site in the country. Read more…
· Continuity of Palliative Care Often Disrupted at Hospital Discharge
Patients who receive palliative care in a hospital often have trouble finding a provider to continue those services after they return home. The number of hospitals that offer palliative care has grown exponentially during the past two decades. As of 2020, more than 83% of U.S. hospitals with 50 or more beds had a palliative program, up from 25% in 2000, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Read more…
· Hospice Advocacy Groups Call on CMS to Delay, Revise Special Focus Program
A coalition of industry groups has spoken out about the design of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) forthcoming Special Focus Program (SFP) for hospices. CMS initially pitched the idea in 2022 but instead convened a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) to further guide development. The TEP completed its work late last year, and now, per the 2024 proposed home health rule, the agency wants to move ahead with it next year. Read more…
· CMS Proposed 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Introduces New Supports for Family Caregivers, Social Determinants
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new pathways to support family caregivers for patients with serious illnesses. The agency’s 2024 physician fee schedule proposed rule contains a number of provisions related to caregiver assistance, health equity, interdisciplinary care and social determinants of health. Read more…
· What Hospices Can Learn from Home Health Agencies on New Program Integrity Rules
Hospices seeking to gauge the potential impact of new regulatory actions in the space can look to their counterparts in the home health field. The steps that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has put forth to strengthen hospice program integrity mirror rules implemented in years past for home health providers, including medical review processes and rules for when a provider can sell their business. Read more…
Hospice News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the hospice industry.
