Tag: PPE

OIG: Home Health Responded to COVID Creatively, but Challenges Persist

Key issue of telehealth remains Home health agencies (HHAs) developed strategies to respond to challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing new incentives to maintain staff and seeking alternative sources of personal protective equipment, finds a new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report also concluded that HHAs were helped by regulatory flexibilities and expanded telehealth usage, and recommended…

OIG Reports on Home Health Agency Infection Control Audit

An audit of eight home health agencies (HHAs) by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that most had infection control policies and procedures that met the stndards set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and followed CMS COVID-19 guidance to safeguard Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, according…

An Exclusive PAPR Purchasing Program for NAHC Members

Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 2:00PM to 2:30PM Eastern The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is pleased to announce a special opportunity for our members to purchase high-level personal protection equipment at a significant savings. Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) are being used increasingly within health care settings. As a relatively new…

Learn About An Exclusive PAPR Purchasing Program for NAHC Members

Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 2:00PM to 2:30PM Eastern The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is pleased to announce a special opportunity for our members to purchase high-level personal protection equipment at a significant savings. Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) are being used increasingly within health care settings. As a relatively new…

New NAHC National Survey: Home Health Care Severely Disrupted by COVID-19 Pandemic

A new national survey of home health agencies from early-to-mid June 2020 finds that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to severely disrupt the delivery of care and causing significant financial pressure that has eased only slightly since a similar survey was conducted in mid-April. The May/June survey contains important new information on the admission refusal rate…

Hospice in the Time of COVID-19: Findings from the NAHC National Survey

Strong majorities of hospices in the United States that responded to a survey by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) have admitted COVID-19-positive patients on to service, but also anticipate a decrease in annual revenues in 2020. Hospices from nearly every U.S. state and territory, including several multi-state providers, provided valuable insights…

National Study Shows Home Health Care in a Fragile State

A national survey of home health agencies (HHA) indicate the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the care delivery system, bringing significant financial pressures throughout the country. The impact is due to pandemic-triggered changes affecting services to the usual 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who receive care in the home as well as the new patient population…

CMS Nursing Home FAQs on Policies Related to Admission of Hospice Staff

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided a recap of previous guidance related to nursing home visitors (see Q&A 4) and access to facility patients by health care workers, including hospice workers (Q&A 6). Most recently, as part of a memorandum to state survey agency directors (QSO-20-28-NH: Quality Nursing Home Five Star…

Let’s Leverage the Power of Home Care and Hospice to Fight COVID-19

Become an advocate now! If you’re already an advocate, take action now! Home health agencies (HHAs) stand ready to help meet the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus and are already providing care to COVID-19-positive patients and are prepared to take on additional cases. By leveraging home health to its fullest extent hospital beds can…

Hospice Groups Outline Priorities for Possible New COVID-19 Legislation

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and a group of hospice organizations have sent a letter to Congress highlighting the need for further health care reform to allow hospice and palliative care to serve their patients while stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Over the last several weeks, Congress has…