Hospice Groups, AOs Speak Out on Proposed Accreditor Oversight Rule

Some accreditation organizations (AOs) have balked at the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule designed to strengthen oversight of those institutions. CMS in February released a proposed rule that would introduce a number of provisions aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest and establishing more consistent standards, processes and definitions among accreditation […]

Hospice Leaders to Lawmakers: Strengthen CMS Oversight of Accreditors

Individuals in several states have been securing hospice licenses only to turn them around in a quick sale. A number of these hospices are accredited, prompting calls for greater oversight of organizations with deeming authority. A surge of newly licensed hospices has swelled in California, Arizona, Texas and Nevada. Many of these have been accused […]

Health Care Companies, Federal Agencies to Solve Interoperable Data Sharing on Social Determinants

A group of health care organizations is developing interoperable systems for sharing information on social determinants of health across care settings. The Sync for Social Needs Coalition seeks to standardize the types of data that providers collect from patient screenings for social determinants and develop ways to integrate that information into electronic medical records (EMR) […]

Quality Data, Transparency Becoming More Critical to Hospice Compliance Under New Rules

Quality is a paramount concern as hospice regulation and payment continue to evolve. Quality and transparency will be critical not only to curbing regulatory scrutiny, but also to a hospice’s bottom line. New quality measures were among the major provisions included in the final rule for hospice payments in Fiscal Year 2022. The rule implemented […]

Accreditors Respond to HOSPICE Act

A proposed House bill, Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort Environments (HOSPICE) Act, could increase accreditors and U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) survey frequency from every three years to every other year for hospices. These provisions — and the public reporting of accreditation survey results — could weigh heavily on both accrediting organizations […]