2024-12
Home Health Care Survey Results Now Available
December 20, 2024The latest Preview Reports reflecting results from the Home Health Care CAHPS (HHCAHPS) Survey, covering July 2023 through June 2024 (Q3 2023–Q2 2024), are now accessible on homehealthcahps.org. These reports…
NOW AVAILABLE- Final OASIS-E1 Time Points Instruments
December 20, 2024The final OMB-approved OASIS-E1 time points Instruments, effective 1/1/2025, are now available in a zip file in the Downloads section of the OASIS Data Sets webpage. A change table OASIS-E1 Instruments March 2024 – December…
Quarterly Credit Balance Reports No Longer Required
December 20, 2024Starting December 1, 2024, providers aren’t required to submit Credit Balance Reports (CMS-838) on a quarterly basis. You’re still required to report self-identified overpayments, but you should only use a Credit…
CGS Announces January “Dark Days” for Common Working File Host
December 20, 2024The Common Working File (CWF) will observe a Gray Day on Thursday, January 2, 2025, and Dark Days from Friday, January 3, through Sunday, January 5, to install the January…
Medicare FFS Improper Payment Rate Announced for FY 2024
December 20, 2024CMS has released the national Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) improper payment rate for FY 2024, as reported in the HHS Agency Financial Report. The improper payment rate stands at 7.66%, representing…
Revised Home Health Change of Care Notice Form Effective February 1
December 20, 2024CMS has released a revised Home Health Change of Care Notice (HHCCN) form. Starting February 1, 2025, you must use the revised form to notify Medicare Fee-for-Service patients getting home health…
Provider Preview Reports for Feb 2025 Care Compare Refresh
December 20, 2024Provider preview reports for the February 2025 Care Compare refresh were made available in the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) application on November 13, 2024. The preview period…
ODP Bulletins & Key Updates
December 20, 2024See below a summary of key ODP bulletins and updates released since our last Connections edition: The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has been expanded to include Medically Complex Conditions…
CMS Approves CHC Waiver Renewal – Effective January 1, 2025
December 20, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver renewal. The renewal is effective January 1, 2025. The current…
Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety (PATHS) Program
December 20, 2024Workplace safety is a critical focus for all organizations, especially in industries like home care, home health, and hospice, where employees face unique challenges daily. The Pennsylvania Training for Health…
Get Ready for the Re-Launch of the My Learning Center
December 20, 2024Exciting updates are coming to PHA’s My Learning Center (MLC) platform, soon to be powered by Nevvon! As part of our continued efforts to enhance user experience and make training…
NEW: 2025 Recruitment Transformation Challenge
December 20, 2024Unlock top talent with our 2025 Recruitment Transformation Challenge! This learning series delivers actionable recruitment strategies from industry expert Leigh Davis, whose job posts were ranked #1 and #2 by…
On December 10, 2024, the Senate passed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 4776). The legislation was sent to the House where it is currently reported as…
MedPAC Recommends Adjustments to Home Health and Hospice Payments
December 20, 2024On December 13, 2024, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) presented draft recommendations to Congress for adjusting Medicare payment rates for home health and hospice services. While MedPAC’s role is…
HHAeXchange Enhances EVV Compliance Reporting for Agencies
December 20, 2024HHAeXchange recently released an important update to its Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Compliance Reports, offering agencies deeper insights into their compliance performance. What’s New? As of December 20th, 2024, a…
What’s Behind Our Budget Request?
December 20, 2024Every year the Commonwealth’s budget process presents its own unique obstacles, and this year is no different. No matter how much revenue Pennsylvania has, balancing and delivering on priorities, and…
Grassroots Campaign: Sign up to Advocate for Needed Rate Increases!
December 20, 2024As 2024 draws to a close, 2025 reimbursement rate advocacy is ramping up! With another tight budget year ahead, the need for amplified and regular grassroots advocacy in your local…
PHA Hires Public Relations Firm to Support 2025-2026 Budget Request
December 20, 2024In support of our ongoing efforts to advocate for meaningful reimbursement rate increases, PHA has officially engaged Global Strategy Group (GSG) to help amplify our message. GSG brings a wealth…
Happy Holidays from PHA!
December 20, 2024We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, business partners, and board members for your unwavering support and dedication. Your commitment has been the cornerstone of our success. Wishing you…
Renew Your Membership & Advocate With Us in 2025!
December 20, 2024Renew your membership with the Pennsylvania Homecare Association and be part of a transformative year! We need your commitment and dedication to advocate for meaningful change to reimbursement rates and…
Renew Your Membership for an Exciting 2025 with PHA!
December 8, 2024It’s time to renew your membership with the Pennsylvania Homecare Association for the 2025 calendar year! 2025 will be a pivotal year for advocacy, putting your membership dollars to work….
Mia Haney, CEO of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA), has been honored with City & State PA’s 2024 Impact Award for her leadership in advancing homecare, hospice, and home health…
No Quick Hits in December, Resuming January 2025
December 8, 2024Please note that PHA’s monthly Quick Hits series is not scheduled for December due to the holiday season. Our updates will resume in January 2025, bringing you the latest news,…
Share a Home Care Patient Story
December 8, 2024PHA is seeking member support to share patient stories to support 2025 advocacy efforts. Stories can be shared directly by a patient or by a representative who is willing to…
We are excited to announce the launch of a focused Public Relations campaign aimed at amplifying the recognition and visibility of home care services. This initiative will advocate for higher…
Last month, U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Enhancing Hospice Oversight and Transparency Act. This bipartisan legislation seeks to delay the implementation of the…
Our M&A event of the year is almost here! Join us on December 13, 2024, at The Alloy in King of Prussia, PA, for the 2024 Mergers & Acquisitions Summit—a…
PHA Seeks HHA Trainers: Become a Home Health Aide (HHA) Training Site through the DLI Grant
December 8, 2024PHA is seeking applications from member agencies interested in becoming a Home Health Aide (HHA) training site as part of our Department of Labor and Industry grant. To ensure high-quality…
PHA Partners with WB Mason: Unbeatable Value for Members
December 8, 2024We’re excited to announce our latest collaboration with WB Mason, a leading provider of workplace solutions. With WB Mason, PHA members gain access to a convenient one-stop shop for all…
This November, a federal judge in Texas blocked enforcement of the federal government’s overtime rule, determining that the Department of Labor exceeded its authority in increasing the minimum salary for exemption…
CMS Updates Medicaid Eligibility Standards for 2025
December 8, 2024The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released updates to Medicaid income and asset standards effective in 2025. Key changes include: Access the bulletin with full details https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib11152024.pdf.
“Ready PA”: A Website for Emergency Preparedness and Management
December 8, 2024This past week, Erie County experienced unprecedented lake effect snowfall amounting to 6 feet of snow! Governor Shapiro issued a disaster proclamation, and multiple states of emergency were declared for…
OLTL Rate Study: Results to Be Released in February
December 8, 2024At the December 4 Long Term Services and Supports Sub Committee meeting, the Office of Long-Term-Living (OLTL) announced that the long-awaited rate study results . . . will have to…
CHC System Bug Affects MCO Assignment Accuracy
December 8, 2024The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PADHS) has identified a bug in its eligibility system, affecting the assignment accuracy of CHC-MCOs for existing Community HealthChoices (CHC) participants. This issue may…
OLTL Adds Chore & Teleservices to CHC
December 8, 2024The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) announced new services available January 1, 2025, due to the CHC Waiver Renewal and OBRA Waiver Amendment. These include Chore Services (CHC only), Teleservice…
ODP Bulletins & Key Updates
December 8, 2024See below a summary of key ODP bulletins and updates released since our last Connections edition: ODPANN 24-114: Now Open: Certified Investigator (CI) Initial Certification Course The Office of Developmental…
CY 2025 Home Health Payment Rate Update
December 8, 2024CMS has released a new MLN Matters article detailing updates to the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) effective January 1, 2025. Key changes include: Home health providers should…
New OIG Report Finds Home Health Agencies Complied with Provider Relief Fund Requirements
December 8, 2024A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows that selected home health agencies (HHAs) followed the rules for using Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments. The PRF program…
January 2025 HH PPS Grouper Software Update Now Available
December 8, 2024The January 2025 release of the Home Health PPS Grouper Software (v06.0.25) is now live. Access it in the CMS Downloads section. Key Updates include: More Information:
Register for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program webinar hosted by CMS on Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 1:00–2:00 PM. The webinar will include an Introduction to Hospice Outcomes and Patient…
Care Compare Quarterly Refresh – November 2024
December 8, 2024The November 2024 quarterly refresh for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program is now available on Care Compare. For additional information, please see the FY2025 Hospice Wage Index Final Rule at https://www.cms.gov/Center/Provider-Type/Hospice-Center. Please…
2023 Year in Review: A Look at What We Accomplished TOGETHER!
December 18, 2023Our team reflects on a transformative year in its 2023 Year in Review! As a collective force, our staff, board members, and partners dedicated themselves to enhancing professional standards and…
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