CMS Report Shows Hospital-At-Home Care Increases Recovery, While Decreasing Costs And Readmissions

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a report on a study of its Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) program. This program permits specific Medicare-certified hospitals to provide inpatient-level care to patients in their homes. The report outlines the study’s results and discusses potential future considerations and limitations. The report […]

‘Society Will Greatly Benefit’ From The Transformative Hospital-At-Home Movement

Hospital at Home (HaH) is a sustainable, innovative and next-generation health care model. From the physician’s perspective, it offers person-centered medical care and keeps patients out of the hospital, away from possible complications and on to better outcomes. However, there are still plenty of challenges for providers to work through. “People love to have inpatient […]

House to Consider Bill Blocking Mandatory Cuts to Medicare

Home health providers may get continued relief from Medicare sequestration after all. On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced new legislation — H.R. 1868 — aimed at stopping automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other programs. House lawmakers plan to consider the legislation this week, setting the stage for possible relief before a […]

2% Cut to Home Health Agencies, Other Medicare Providers Nearing Unwanted Return

Among its many provisions, last year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act pressed pause on the government’s 2% payment cut to all Medicare-reimbursed health care providers. The “sequestration holiday” was immediately seen as a common-sense lifeline for cash-strapped home health providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom had […]

Humana Updates Management Team, LHC Group Fills Out Board

Humana updates management team with internal hires Health insurance giant Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has filled two leadership roles with internal candidates. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company has promoted Joseph Ventura to General Counsel and named Douglas Stoss interim lead for Humana’s Office of Corporate Affairs. Both will serve as members of the company’s management team. […]

HHS Appeal to Slow Backlog Mandate Doesn’t ‘Tilt the Scales’

Despite its resistance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must comply with a previously announced timetable for clearing a massive Medicare appeals backlog after all, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has decided. The Medicare appeals backlog grew exponentially in recent years due, in part, to more aggressive Medicare […]

Industry Groups Critique Home Health Reimbursement Changes

More home health payment cuts are coming, and home health care groups are fighting back against further proposals to change reimbursement measures. Most recently, industry groups shot back against the Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for calendar year 2017, which had an open public comment period that ended August 26. In conjunction with […]

Home Health Lashes Back Against Preauthorization Proposal

A recent proposal that would require home health agencies to receive prior authorization before caring for patients has been met with an onslaught of backlash by the industry. The period for home health agencies to submit comments on the preauthorization proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ended Tuesday with close to […]

Public Rallies Behind Medicare Payment for End-of-Life Talks

End-of-life care discussions between patients and doctors are getting major support from the public as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) weighs its proposal to include these talks as part of practitioner billing, a new poll revealed. About eight out of 10 Americans support Medicare and private insurance coverage for advance care discussions, […]