In the final days of the Biden administration the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposed a rule that could change the game for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth, including some common hospice medications. If finalized, this proposed rule would require prescribers to register with the DEA before they are allowed to prescribe schedule II-V controlled […]
Auditors are raising new questions around two common issues in hospices’ Medicare claims — documentation supporting patient eligibility and the physician narrative. Program integrity issues and quality concerns have raised the bar of regulatory oversight in recent years, with auditing activity ramping up as more providers undergo multiple audits simultaneously each year. New documentation red […]
A federal judge has denied VitalCaring’s request to reconsider a ruling requiring that a portion of the company’s future profits be placed in trust for the benefit of Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) and Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB). The case dates back to 2022, when Encompass Health spun off its home health and hospice business, creating […]
The Trump Administration has suspended implementation of the hospice Special Focus Program. Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space have contended that the agency’s methodology for selecting hospices for […]
The newly confirmed U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has voiced his support for end-of-life care. Kennedy oversees all HHS programs, operating divisions and activities, including a nearly $2 trillion federal funding budget and a wide range of health and human service programs. HHS’ subagencies include the U.S. […]
A U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) victory in its lawsuit to block UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) acquisition of Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED) is unlikely to have a cooling effect on hospice M&A, according to some experts. The UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum in June 2023 agreed to acquire Amedisys in a $3.3 billion deal. Optum in February 2023 […]
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is withdrawing its motion to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit regarding the company’s plans to acquire Amedisys in a $3.3 billion deal. UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest companies in the country and has an array of associated business lines. Should the deal go through, […]
The White House recently issued several executive orders that have ramped up the nation’s immigration enforcement policies. The health care sector may be facing a host of staffing and operational challenges as the regulatory moves unfold, according to Hannah Liu, manager of immigration advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). A tightening of immigration policies […]
A guilty plea has been filed in a hospice fraud scheme that allegedly bilked Medicare for $17 million in false claims. Petros Fichidzhyan pleaded guilty to charges of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering in connection with the Medicare fraud case involving multiple California-based hospice and home health companies. Fichidzhyan was among […]
The Trump administration has instructed federal health agencies to pause all external communications, including health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites and social media posts, according to reports by CNN and the Washington Post. These orders were conveyed on Jan. 21 to staff at agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services […]
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