CMS Reissues CR 5567, Suspends Visit Reporting of Non-Hospice Staff in GIP Setting

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today reissued Change Request (CR) 5567 to "temporarily suspend reporting of visit data from non-hospice staff in contract facilities providing General Inpatient Care." The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) was notified of this impending release by CMS officials, who stated the reissue was in response to NAHC and hospice industry pleas to forego requiring hospices to report visits made by non-hospice employees.
:: ( NAHC Report, 4/29/2008 )

CMS Issues Proposed Hospice Wage Index Reduction

Late on April 28, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the anticipated proposed rule modifying the Medicare hospice wage index, phasing out the Budget Neutrality Adjustment Factor (BNAF) that was put into place in 1997. The proposal, if implemented, will cut Medicare payments by over $2.29 billion between 2009 and 2011.
:: ( NAHC Report 4/29/2008 )