CMS
Hospices now have access to additional resources in the Provider Toolkit on the HQRP Requirements and Best Practices page, including three recently added guides: Additionally, CMS has added the Quarterly Q&A…
Last week, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced the discontinuation of the Hospice Benefit Component in the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model, effective December 31, 2024. This decision comes…
CMS Updates Manuals to Include Marriage and Family Therapists, Mental Health Counselors
March 11, 2024The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated its manuals to reflect Medicare coverage and payment for marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) effective…
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Door Forums (ODFs) switched from phone to webinars and now include an online registration process. Last week, CMS shared the…
The deadline for home health agencies to submit a request for an exemption from participating in the Home Health CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey for the CY 2025 Annual Payment Update (APU)…
CMS Releases Updated Medicaid Telehealth Toolkit
February 26, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated version of the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Telehealth Toolkit on February 8. The toolkit articulates the policies…
February 2024 Refresh Now Live on Hospice Care Compare
February 26, 2024The February 2024 quarterly refresh for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program is now available on Care Compare. Publicly reported hospice quality data, including the Hospice Item Set, CAHPS Survey Family Caregiver…
MLN Matters: Hospices Required to Report All Managing Employees
February 26, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently clarified that hospice medical directors and administrators are always considered managing employees for Medicare provider enrollment purposes. You must report all…
On February 8, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule, Medicare Program: Strengthening Oversight of Accrediting Organizations and Preventing Accrediting Organization Conflict of Interest, and Related Provisions….
Expanded HHVBP Model: January 2024 Interim Performance Reports (IPRs) Are Available on iQIES
February 19, 2024Home health agencies (HHAs) can now access their January Preliminary Interim Performance Reports (IPRs) for the expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model in iQIES. The quarterly IPRs provide HHAs…
Hospice Preview Reports for the May 2024 Refresh Now Available
February 19, 2024Providers can now access the latest Provider Preview Reports via the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) application. Once released in CASPER, providers will have 30 days during which…
Notice: Hospice Item Set Manual Update
February 19, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicate Services has updated the Hospice Item Set (HIS) Manual to remove COVID-19 public health emergency references, revise the Annual Payment Update (APU) penalty to reflect the…
CMS Fact Sheet: Hospice Comprehensive Assessment Measure
February 19, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently shared a Fact Sheet for the Hospice Comprehensive Assessment Quality Measure. The document provides clarification on the measure and guidance on how to calculate…
CMS Issues RFI on Medicare Advantage Data Collection
February 12, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input from the public regarding various aspects of Medicare Advantage (MA) data. Feedback from stakeholders to…
2021 Data Now Available for the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Chartbook
February 5, 2024CMS has added the annual update to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Chartbook with data for 2021. The MCBS Chartbook provides the public with an interactive collection of charts and tables…
2024 HHCAHPS Survey Training Materials Have Been Posted
February 5, 2024The agenda and slides for the self-paced 2024 Introduction to the Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey training and the HHCAHPS Survey Vendor Update training are now posted under the…
On January 26, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) forwarded the final Medicaid Access Rule (CMS-2442-F) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the last review…
MLN Matters: Refillable DMEPOS Documentation Requirements
January 29, 2024Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued an MLN Matters article on Refillable DMEPOS Documentation Requirements. Learn about the requirement to contact the patient (PDF) before you refill DMEPOS products.
Reminder: GUIDE Model Applications Due This Week
January 29, 2024As a reminder, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is currently accepting applications for the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. The deadline to apply is this Tuesday, January 30. The model aims…
Hospice Updates from January Open Door Forum
January 29, 2024Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held an Open Door Forum (ODF) for home health, hospice, and durable medical equipment providers. A summary of the…
CMS Home Health Cost Report Now Available
January 29, 2024The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has released a new Cost Report Public Use File (PUF) for Home Health, which includes data for 2020–2021. This report includes provider information such…
Home Health & Hospices: Medicare Credit Balance Reports Due
January 22, 2024As a reminder, the Medicare Credit Balance Report for the quarter ending December 31 is due by January 30, 2024. CGS will suspend all claim payments at 100% if a completed CMS-838…
Quarterly HHCAHPS Survey Results Reported on Care Compare
January 22, 2024Home health agencies (HHAs) are informed that Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey results from July 2022 to June 2023 are now accessible on the HHCAHPS website under the “Survey Preview Report”…
CMS Shares Updates OASIS Q&As
January 22, 2024The January 2024 CMS OASIS Quarterly Q&As are now available on the CMS QTSO webpage. In this addition, CMS addresses changes to OASIS as a result of the CY 2024 Home Health Final Rule.
Now Available: Updated Guide to Home Health Help Desks
January 22, 2024The updated guide to Home Health Help Desks is now available in the “Downloads” section of the Home Health Quality Reporting Program Help Desks webpage.
Hospice Self-Determined Aggregate Cap Reminder
January 22, 2024As a reminder, hospices are required to self-calculate and submit their Aggregate Cap Report no later than February 28, 2024. More information, including forms and instructions on where to submit your…
Reminder: Don’t Let Your Agency Credentials Expire!
January 15, 2024Don’t let license and credential expirations put a damper on your 2024 business plans! Take a moment this week to add a calendar reminder OR double check an existing calendar…
Now Available in iQIES – Preview Reports and Star Rating Preview Reports for the April 2024 Refresh
January 15, 2024For this refresh, Home Health (HH) Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) measures have been updated. For additional information, please see the HH Quality Reporting Training webpage and the Home Health Data Submission…
Home Health CAHPS Survey Exemption Request Due March 31
January 15, 2024The deadline for home health agencies to submit a request for an exemption from participating in the Home Health CAHPS (HH CAHPS) Survey for the CY 2025 Annual Payment Update (APU) is…
The Participation Exemption for Size Form for calendar year (CY) 2024 CAHPS Hospice Survey data collection and reporting requirements is now available. Hospices that served fewer than 50 survey-eligible decedents/caregivers in CY 2023 (January…
PA Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy (MCQS)
January 8, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires states to have a quality strategy for their managed care programs. The PA draft MCQS was published for public comment on…
CMS has released the expanded Home Heath Value-Based Purchasing Technical Expert Panel (TEP) Report. This report provides a summary of the TEP’s input on health equity approaches, performance measures, measure weights, and…
CMS Releases Draft OASIS-E1 Instrument
January 8, 2024Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the draft OASIS-E1 All Items instrument, scheduled for an effective date of January 1, 2025. The accompanying OASIS-E1 Manual is…
The latest quarterly Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) Update was distributed to hospices via email at the end of December. This quarter’s update includes FY 2025 HQRP reporting reminders, upcoming training opportunities,…
CMS Approves New Audit on Hospice Extended Length of Stay
January 8, 2024Last month, the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC), Performant, added Hospice Care: Extended Length of Stay: Medical Necessity and Documentation Requirements to its list of CMS-approved audit issues.
The CAHPS Hospice Survey telephone and mail materials from the Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0 (QAG V10.0) in all approved translations are now available. Survey vendors must use the revised CAHPS Hospice Survey materials beginning…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a Bulletin to provide information on updates to the income and resource standards for certain eligibility groups, which are adjusted annually based…
CMS Open Door Forum: Key Updates for Home Health & Hospice
December 4, 2023The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held a Home Health, Hospice, and DME Open Door Forum on November 29, 2023. The summary of the Forum applicable to home…
Plan Ahead! CMS Shares New HHVBP Resources for CY 2024 & 2025
November 20, 2023resources to help providers plan and succeed in Expanded HHVBP model for the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 and CY 2025. See below for the new at-a-glance resources.
CMS Issues New Resources in Advance of CY 2024 Home Health Final Rule Implementation
November 20, 2023Last week, CMS shared the following MLN Matter Articles to provide an overview of key provisions of the CY 2024 Home Health Final Rule, including payment and provider enrollment changes….
2024 OASIS-E Manual Now Available
November 13, 2023The 2024 Update to the OASIS-E Manual and the associated Change Table are now available in the Downloads section on the OASIS Users Manuals page. There are no changes to the OASIS-E…
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Releases Hospice Quality Reporting Program Report
November 6, 2023The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has been developing a new Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) data collection tool – HOPE (Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation). The HOPE is…
New VBID Evaluation Report
October 30, 2023Last month, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released the most recent Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model evaluation report. The report highlights participation, flexibilities, and outcomes, as…
On October 11, CMS issued Change Request 13417, which provides instruction to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) on updated interest rates under the Medicare program. Effective October 17, 2023, CMS has instructed…
Many Redetermination requests submitted through myCGS are dismissed because the form is not completed correctly. Digits of the Internal Control Number (ICN) are transposed, codes and modifiers added to the form are…
Quarterly Medicare Credit Balance Reports Due October 30
October 16, 2023As a reminder, the Medicare Credit Balance Report for the quarter ending September 30 is due by October 30, 2023. CGS will suspend all claim payments at 100% if a completed…
CMS Proposes Changes to the HCBS 1915(c) Waiver Application
October 16, 2023In September 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted proposed updates to the 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Application and Technical Guide in the…
CMS Releases BIMS Resource
October 9, 2023The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a 3-minute, animated explainer video, BIMS and BIMS Summary Score: Stopping and Coding an Incomplete Interview for Home Health providers….
On September 26, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that will be participating in the MA Value-Based Insurance Design Model (VBID) during calendar…
CMS released a Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide, a compilation of Medicaid transportation policy providing a one-stop transportation resource for states on federal requirements and state flexibilities. The guide highlights existing policies…