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Hospice Rate Cuts...
Posted by Charlene in Trends on November 6, 2008
Hospice Rate Cuts.  The hospice “market basket” increase for FY2009 was 3.6 percent.  However this increase was offset by the decreases in payments due to the phase out of the Budget Neutrality Adjustment Factor (BNAF), beginning in FY2009, estimated by CMS to be an average 1.1 percent...
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Revised Medicare Conditions of Participa...
Posted by Charlene in Hospice CoPs on November 3, 2008
Revised Medicare Conditions of Participation were published June 5th with required compliance by December 2, 2008.  This is the first change in CoPs since the Benefit was enacted 25 years ago.  Significant changes in all hospice operations will be required in order to be in compliance with these new...
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CMS Continues to Increase Data Reporting...
Posted by Roseanne in Data Reporting on November 3, 2008
It is expected that CMS will continue to require additional data reporting over the next few years as CMS and MedPac look to redesign the payment system. • On October 31, 2008 CMS issued the Phase 3 proposal of hospice data collection. CMS is asking for feedback from the hospice industry by November...
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OIG and Hospice Care in the Nursing Faci...
Posted by Roseanne in Hospice in the Nursing Facility on November 3, 2008
Hospice in the nursing home continues to be an area of ongoing interest for the OIG (and MedPac).  The OIG released a report in December 2007 entitled “Medicare Hospice Care: A Comparison of Beneficiaries in Nursing Facilities and Beneficiaries in Other Settings.” This study is the first...
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QAPI – The most overarching change...
Posted by Charlene in QAPI on November 3, 2008
Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) is the most overarching and all consuming of the new CoPs.  A QAPI program will require the most time for preparation and implementation and have the greatest impact on current operations.  CMS expects to see measurable improvements at the agency and...
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