Following the recent statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel regarding therapies for the COVID-19 Omicron variant, CMS created HCPCS code J0248 for VEKLURY™ (remdesivir) antiviral medication when administered in an outpatient setting. This code is available for use by all payers and is effective for dates of service on or after […]
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance on the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule that was published on November 5, 2021. The emergency regulation helps safeguard health care workers and the people they serve from COVID-19 and its variants for all individuals seeking care by imposing requirements […]
Swingtech sends informational messages to hospices related to the Quality Reporting Program (QRP) on a quarterly basis. Their latest outreach communication can be found on the HQRP Requirements and Best Practices webpage. If you want to receive Swingtech’s quarterly emails, then add or update the email addresses to which these messages are sent by sending an […]
CMS has released the Hospice Quality Reported Program 2021 Information Gathering Reporting. This report provides information from literature reviews and expert interviews that supports expansion of the hospice quality reporting program. Specific topics include treatment of moderate to severe pain, patient preferences, spiritual care, social needs, medication management, and other topics related to hospice quality. […]
During this critical time, Home Health Care News remains committed to bringing you all the essential news related to home-based care operations. At the same time, we also recognize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our regular content, we’ll continue to highlight industry-related developments and mitigation strategies in this rolling bulletin. What […]
By Joyce Famakinwa | February 13, 2020 In an effort to address the growing demand for home care services and worsening labor crunch, one U.S. lawmaker has introduced a bill that could help providers raise wages for their caregivers. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced S. 3277 — the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Infrastructure Improvement Act — into […]
The home health industry is just a few short months away from the biggest reimbursement overhaul it’s seen in nearly two decades: Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). As the new model’s Jan. 1, 2020 implementation nears, providers nationwide are preparing to navigate its complex changes. That’s especially true when it comes to therapy utilization, which will […]
Earlier this year, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) made waves when it rolled out new software that makes its Alexa device HIPAA-compliant. The new skills kit allows select patients and health care organizations to securely transmit sensitive medical information — often from the comfort of one’s own home. While the implications of the skills have the home-based care […]
If you operate a home health agency, Laura Long and her colleagues are probably the last people you want to hear from. Long is the Medicare operations lead at AdvanceMed, one of five unified program integrity contractors (UPICs) nationwide hired by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to audit and investigation home health […]
The long-standing moratoria on new Medicare home health agencies is no longer in effect anywhere in the U.S. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed the temporary ban to expire on Jan. 30, a move that will likely improve patient access to home-based care in related markets, experts say. CMS initially implemented a […]
