U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Home Care Aide Overtime Case

Late last Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will review the long-running case concerning overtime compensation for home care aides, Long Island Care at Home, et al. v. Coke. In granting the petition for a writ of certiorari, the Supreme Court has opened the door for a potential reversal of the Court of […]

Attendees Welcomed at Opening Session of National Policy Conference and Law Symposium

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice’s National Policy Conference & Law Symposium kicked off Sunday, March 26 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., and attendees were welcomed by a host of speakers and NAHC staff members. As the first official event of the conference, the opening general session served to excite […]

Latest Version of Hospice HART Now Available

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted notice that the HART (Hospice Abstraction Reporting Tool) v1.3.0 is currently available in the Related Links section at the bottom of this web page. HART is a Java-based software application that provides an option for Hospice facilities to collect and maintain facility, patient and HIS […]

NAHC Digital Advocacy Works

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) created a Legislative Action Center and pages for home care regulatory and hospice regulatory ssues because we know the best advocates for our community – the hard-working women and men in home health and hospice agencies – cannot always make the case for sound health care […]

Budget Deal Expected Later this Week

After months of stalemate, one government shutdown, and legislators moving from one financial crisis to the next, House and Senate negotiators have announced that they have reached a budget deal. The modest deal – negotiated between House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) – will set discretionary spending limits […]

OIG Updates Exclusion Advisory

On May 8, 2013 the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a Special Advisory Bulletin that updates the scope and effect of the legal prohibition on payment by federal health care programs for items or services both furnished by an excluded person and at the medical direction of an excluded person.  The Advisory Bulletin describes […]

Home Care Medicaid Fraud Developments in Florida, Maryland, and Illinois

The National Council on Medicaid Home Care – a NAHC affiliate – reports on recent developments in home care Medicaid fraud and abuse, including: 1) alleged overbilling of unauthorized services in Florida; 2) convicted fraud of a caregiver in Maryland; and 3) convicted beneficiary fraud in Illinois. Florida As reported by Local 10 News in […]

Predictive Modeling for Bundled Payments

Nearly 500 care organizations are enrolled in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative. To help navigate uncharted bundled structures, progressive care providers are looking toward predictive modeling. As defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, BPCI organizations will enter into payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability for episodes of […]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights Releases a Bulletin on HIPAA Privacy in Emergency Situations

 In light of the Ebola outbreak and other events, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), is providing a bulletin to ensure that HIPAA covered entities and their business associates are aware of the ways in which patient information may be shared under the HIPAA Privacy Rule in an emergency […]

Mergers and Acquisitions Continue in the Home Care & Hospice Industry

Simione Healthcare Consultants, a national home health and hospice consulting firm, recently announced the acquisition of Boyd & Nicholas, Inc., a California-based consulting firm.The merger combines two of the nation’s leading cost report teams for home health and hospice organizations, as well as expands the west-coast footprint of Someone Healthcare. “We are delighted to welcome […]

Extensive Hospice Educational Offerings at NAHC’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in Phoenix

House and Senate Pass a Continuing Resolution

After a rare Saturday session, the Senate passed a House-approved, $1.1 trillion that will keep the government funded for nine more months, averting another shutdown until the end of FY2015. The bill was essentially a continuation of the $1.1 trillion budget deal that was brokered back in January between House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) […]