Why PACE Will Be A Bigger Piece In The Long-Term Care Puzzle In 2023

In the new year, a number of states will expand their Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) efforts. PACE has been touted not only as a major opportunity for home-based care providers, but also a risk- and value-based program that actually works for seniors when done right. During the height of the pandemic, […]

Home Health Care Serving ‘Older, Sicker, Poorer’ Patient Populations

Almost half of Medicare beneficiaries utilizing home health care services have five or more chronic conditions. This is also true when looking at Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries, according to data from the Research Institute for Home Care (RIHC). RIHC recently released its 2022 Home Care Chartbook, a detailed overview of the home health landscape that […]

Final Rule ‘Blunts Immediate Impact,’ But CMS-Home Health Industry Core Disagreement Remains

Nearly five months after the unveiling of the proposed payment rule caused a stir among home health stakeholders and advocates, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final payment rule on Monday. Back in June, CMS proposed a 4.2% aggregate decrease for 2023, a cut the industry at large felt would […]

Mapping Out A Unified Post-Acute Care Payment System Prototype

The idea of a unified post-acute care payment system has captured the imagination of home health industry stakeholders for years. One question that has always loomed large, however, was how one payment system could be applied to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), in-patient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and, of course, home health providers. […]

Healing Hands CEO Summer Napier: Medicare Cuts Put Home Health Innovation On The Chopping Block

A former hospital nurse and now the CEO of Healing Hands Healthcare, Summer Napier is all about home health innovation. That’s why – since opening in 2016 – the Texas-based Healing Hands has launched a multi-faceted hospital-at-home initiative and a home-based oncology care program. It’s also why Healing Hands is so bullish on forward-thinking legislation […]

Why OIG Telehealth Fraud Findings May Mean Further Roadblocks For Home Health

A number of health care providers that billed Medicare for telehealth services likely did so in a fraudulent or wasteful manner, according to federal watchdogs. That finding and others like it dampen the chances of home health providers being able to bill for virtual care moving forward. That’s one major takeaway from a recent report […]

Homebound Seniors Remain Disproportionately Costly For Medicare

Homebound seniors contribute to higher overall Medicare spending compared to their non-homebound counterparts, according to a recent study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The study examined National Health and Aging Trends data and Medicare fee-for-service claims data to give an overview of health care utilization and spending among homebound […]

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Reemphasizes Home- and Community-Based Services Focus

On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took the time to map out the federal agency’s strategic plans and key initiatives moving forward. During the national stakeholder call, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, CMS Chief Operating Officer Jon Blum and Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Dan […]

The Key Problems with Medicare’s Home Health Benefit

Home-based care services are a crucial element of medical care. Despite this fact, issues surrounding accessibility have hindered the Medicare home health benefit’s ability to be effective, a new report published in Health Affairs Thursday suggests. The report was authored by Henry J. Kaiser’s President Barbara Lyons, as well as Diane Rowland, the former executive […]