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CMS Begins Implementing MedPaC Recommend...
Posted by Charlene in Trends on July 6, 2009
  In the Proposed Hospice Wage Index for Fiscal Year 2010 (CMS-1420-P), CMS will require certifications and recertifications include a brief narrative describing the clinical basis for the patient’s prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease takes its normal course. This proposed change was because...
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Hospice Rate Cuts...
Posted by Charlene in Trends on July 6, 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which contained a provision to halt the hospice Medicare rate cuts for one year, retroactive to October 1, 2008, was signed into law this past February.  This eliminated for one year the phase out of the Budget Neutrality Adjustment Factor (BNAF).  The...
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MedPAC Recommendations for Hospice...
Posted by Charlene in Trends on March 26, 2009
MedPac recommendations to change the reimbursement structure were forwarded to Congress in the March Report.  It is anticipated that data from CR5567, cost reports and future data collection will figure prominently in the redesign.  Systems to manage a hospice operation will be critical in preparing...
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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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