HHS releases HCBS CAHPs data

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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released the 2024 home and community-based services (HCBS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) chartbook. This chartbook includes data that was collected in the summer of 2023. The HCBS CAHPS was developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a way to […]

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Implementing HIPAA Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide

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The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced the publication of the final version of Special Publication (SP) 800-66 Revision 2, Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide. This revised publication, a […]

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Cyber Attacks Impact Care at Home, NAHC Members

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As you may have seen reported, Change Healthcare, a health care technology company, experienced a cyber-attack recently which has had an impact on providers across the entire healthcare spectrum.  Some have experienced issues such as delays in being able to verify insurance information, process orders for medications, process claims, and receive claims payment.   Based […]

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Critical Cybersecurity Update from FBI, HHS

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In response to active exploitation of a cybersecurity vulnerability, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an update to the joint advisory #StopRansomware: ALPHV Blackcat to provide new indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated […]

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HHS Issues New Nondiscrimination Final Rule to Protect Conscience Rights

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a Final Rule, entitled Safeguarding the Rights of Conscience as Protected by Federal Statutes. Several provisions of Federal law protect the conscience rights of certain federally funded health care entities and prohibit recipients of certain Federal funds from requiring individuals and […]

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Administration Introduces Health Care Sector Cybersecurity Strategy

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Between 2018 and 2022, the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS’) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has identified a 93 percent increase in large health care-related cybersecurity breaches (369 to 712), with a 278 percent increase in large breaches reported to OCR involving ransomware. In March 2023, President Biden released a National Cybersecurity Strategy […]

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CMS Expands Medicaid Eligibility Flexibilities in 2025 Marketplace Benefit and Payment Parameters Proposed Rule

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On November 15th, CMS released the HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (Payment Notice) for 2025. While this rule is primarily focused on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace plans, there are other policies included as well. One such policy provides additional flexibility for states to target various eligibility disregards to more nuanced groups of […]

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HHS Provides Telehealth, Info Security for Providers & Patients

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On Thursday, October 18, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued two resource documents to help explain to patients the privacy and security risks to their protected health information (PHI) when using telehealth services and ways to reduce these risks. The first resource is for […]

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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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HRSA Unveils New Funding to Build Health Workforce

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In response to the escalating demand for skilled healthcare professionals in the context of home health care, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), recently unveiled a new initiative, with funding exceeding $100 million, to fortify and augment the existing nursing workforce. This move by […]

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HRSA Unveils New Funding to Build Health Workforce

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In response to the escalating demand for skilled healthcare professionals in the context of home health care, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), recently unveiled a new initiative, with funding exceeding $100 million, to fortify and augment the existing nursing workforce. This strategic […]

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