CMS Details Payment for in-Home Vaccines

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on January 4, 20224 that they make an additional payment for in-home administration of these Part B preventive vaccines for certain Medicare patients: Flu, Hepatitis B, & Pneumococcal Shots: Additional Payments Started January 1 Visit In-Home Vaccine Administration: Additional Payment to learn more, including: COVID-19 Shots Visit Medicare COVID-19 […]

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Draft OASIS-E1 Instrument Now Available

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted the draft OASIS-E1 All Items instrument, scheduled for an effective date of January 1, 2025. The accompanying OASIS-E1 Manual will be released at a later date. An Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number and the information collection timeframe estimate are yet to be assigned.  The […]

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Care Compare Quarterly Refresh for October 2023

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The October 2023 quarterly refresh for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program is now available on Care Compare. For this refresh, Home Health (HH) Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) will be based on the standard number of quarters. The HH QRP claims-based measures have been updated for this refresh and, with the exception of PPR, […]

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DEA Extends COVID-19 Teleprescribing Flexibilities through December 2024

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on October 6, 2023 issued a temporary rule extending COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2024, which is the current date for expiration of other telemedicine-related flexibilities. Prior to issuance of this temporary rule those flexibilities would have expired for new patients on November 11, […]

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OIG: Home Health Agencies Did Not Use Telehealth Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

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A new report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that home health agencies (HHAs) rarely furnished services via telehealth early in the COVID-19 public health emergency. For the few claims in the OIG sample with services furnished via telehealth, HHAs did not fully comply with Medicare […]

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Impact of Proposed Nursing Home Staffing Requirements

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Earlier this month the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed minimum staffing standards for Long-Term Care Facilities (LTC).  The proposed rule would establish minimum Registered Nurse (RN) and Nurse Aide (NA) hours per resident day (HPRD).  It does not include requirements for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)/Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs).   Additionally, the rule […]

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CMS Issues Guidance Extending HCBS Public Health Emergency Flexibilities

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On August 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a State Medicaid Director Letter (SMDL) that enables states to extend certain flexibilities granted by “Appendix K” authority, which is a process to make disaster-related changes to a HCBS Medicaid waivers. Previously, Appendix K changes were scheduled to expire 6 months after […]

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NAHC Analysis: Medicaid Unwinding Impacting Thousands of Older Adults and People with Disabilities

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Beginning in April, state Medicaid agencies have begun disenrolling individuals from the program for the first time since 2020 due to the end of COVID-era eligibility requirements. This “unwinding” process represents one of the largest issues in Medicaid policy, with an estimated 15-20 million individuals likely to lose Medicaid coverage over the next 12 months. […]

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Post-Acute Care Quality Reporting Programs: iQIES Update

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For this refresh, Home Health (HH) Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) will be based on the standard number of quarters. The HH QRP claims-based measures, with the exception of PPR, have been updated for this refresh and are now based on the standard number of quarters. Due to the COVID-19 reporting exceptions, PPR continues […]

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Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 5

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced that the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is open from Saturday, July 1 to Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who received one or more PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from January 1 […]

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The DEA Relaxed Online Prescribing Rules During Covid. Now It Wants to Rein Them In.

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Arielle Zionts June 27, 2023 Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth — something that hasn’t been required in more than three years. During the covid-19 public health emergency, the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed doctors and other health care providers […]

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