MedPac: Home Health Margins Too High!
Does MedPac really understand home health? From their latest report to Congress it is safe to assume that their understanding stops at the basics. Their financial understanding of how well …
Define Healthcare Fraud and Abuse
We often hear about agencies or clinicians committing fraud or partaking in abuse. But what are the clear definitions of fraud and abuse? The new Conditions of Participation (COPs) when …
Do physicians really read orders and info sent to them?
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine shed some interesting light on, and evidence of what many in home health have always thought occurred but didn’t have tangible …
Surveys: Supplying Patient Lists Could be a Thing of the Past
A recent Inspector General’s (IG) report outlines the biggest and sometimes most conflicting item provided during a survey: the patient list. Agencies typically provide a list of all patients or …
Therapy Caps Lifted…Home Health Grouper Model Alive, Again
Nursing homes and outpatient providers are rejoicing at the news that Congress has rescinded caps on how much therapy could be performed without significant hurdles. Congress made the change in …
Medicare Advantage Plans Add Non-Skilled Services
Starting in 2019, agencies should expect more Medicare beneficiaries shift to Medicare advantage plans. CMS has released information that Medicare Advantage plans can now start to provide non-skilled services as …
Self Referrals in Health Systems Challenged
Hospitals with their own home health agencies could face some new pressure. Most home health agencies have experienced an issue with receiving quality referrals at one time or another. For …
Home Health Trial: A Success
A group of physicians and nurses are working with patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA to fine tune a pilot program that avoids hospitalizations altogether. Patients were …
Home Health Quality Assurance: 2018 COP Requirements
The new COPs require a heavy data driven QAPI program that agencies can utilize as justification of care and the defense of having a home health license to operate. However, …
Humana Kindred Merger
Humana along with two undisclosed private equity groups have partnered to purchase the home health agency segment of Kindred. The long term care, nursing homes and specialty hospitals will be …