As California pursues hospice licensing reform, some providers in other states are watching for similar actions closer to home. In December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) approved legislation that tightened hospice oversight in the state. This includes establishing a moratorium on new hospice provider licenses until the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) sets emergency […]
To a certain extent, hospices will soon be operating under pre-pandemic rules in a “post-COVID” world. With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) going away on May 11, many of the temporary flexibilities that came with it are expected to end, though Congress did extend some through 2024, including hospice re-certifications via telehealth. The flexibilities […]
Many hospice providers rely on Medicare Advantage (MA) reimbursement to support palliative care, PACE and social determinants programs, among others. In a final rule issued today, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) laid out its policy for validating MA plans’ risk adjustment data, which the agency uses to calculate capitation rates. Through […]
The Biden administration will end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11. This includes the separate COVID-19 national emergency, both declared by President Donald Trump in 2020. A federally declared emergency allows the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive some regulatory requirements, such as expanded access to telehealth, including […]
Hospices should be paying close attention to effective development and adherence to care plans when it comes to compliance in 2023. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented significant changes to the hospice survey process effective Jan. 1, including new requirements for surveyor training and assessment tools and conflict-of-interest protocols. With […]
Four national hospice and senior care industry groups have called on Congress and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make regulatory and legislative changes to instill stronger program integrity safeguards. The organizations penned a joint letter to CMS in November urging for increased oversight to help curb hospice frauds, including the […]
A federal court has sentenced Akop Atoyan, former co-owner of three California home health and hospice agencies, to 25 months in prison for health care fraud and kickback schemes. Atoyan pled guilty to the changes. He and his wife Liana Karapetyan owned ANG Health Care, Excel Hospice, and Excel Home Healthcare in the Sacramento area. […]
Hospices should be required to report all instances of abuse and neglect, even if the perpetrator was not an employee, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires operators to report incidents of patient abuse and neglect that involve their staff. If the agency follows […]
A significant number of health care providers may not understand federal rules for billing advance care planning, contributing to an estimated $42.3 million in improper payments in 2019. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reported the results of its audit of advance care planning (ACP) billing […]
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has vetoed legislation that would have effectively banned new, for-profit hospices in the state. The New York State Assembly passed the bill in June and submitted it to the governor’s office in mid-December. It would have prohibited the establishment of for-profit hospices in New York state and forbid current […]
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