OIG
OIG Warns of COVID-19 Fraud
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Scammers are using telemarketing calls, text messages, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits to perpetrate COVID-19-related scams. Fraudsters are offering COVID-19 tests, HHS grants, and Medicare prescription cards in exchange […]
Read MoreOIG Adds 2 Home Health Items to Work Plan
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced two new items of interest to NAHC home health members. One is an audit of home health telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and the second is a report on the challenges faced by home health agencies in responding to the PHE and the […]
Read MoreHouse Approves Hospice Survey Reforms to Increase Survey Frequency, Expand Remedies
On December 8, as part of the year-end legislative push, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2019 (BENES Act) to address negative findings by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding survey performance by Medicare-certified hospice providers. The BENES Act incorporates the […]
Read MoreOIG: Poor Oversight Led Medicare to Overpay for Hospital Inpatient Claims with Post-Acute-Care Transfers to Home Health
A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has found that Medicare improperly paid most inpatient claims to the transfer policy when beneficiaries resumed homoe health services within three days of of discharge but the hospitals failed to code the inpatient claim properly and recommends the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]
Read MoreMedicare Contractors Were Not Consistent In How They Reviewed Extrapolated Overpayments
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services conducted an audit to determine whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ensured that MACs and QICs reviewed appealed extrapolated overpayments consistently and in a manner that conforms with existing CMS requirements. The OIG concluded that the MACs and […]
Read MoreEnhancing RN Supervision of Hospice Aide Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an MLN Fact Sheet, Enhancing RN Supervision of Hospice Aide Services. This fact sheet contains information about frequency and documentation requirements of registered nurses’ (RN) supervisory visits. Learn how often RNs should visit patients in their homes to assess hospice aide’s quality of care and […]
Read MoreUPDATED: OIG COVID-19 Resources and FAQs
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has a COVID-19 Portal covering various COVID-19 topics. Among them is a set of FAQs that is updated periodically. There are no home health or hospice specific FAQs currently posted; however, there are FAQs on topics that may be of interest […]
Read MoreOIG: CMS Could Save Money Reviewing Home Health Claims With Visits Slightly Above LUPA
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could have saved $192 million by targeting home health claims for review with visits slightly above the threshold that triggers a higher Medicare payment, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health & Human Services. Home health agencies […]
Read MoreOffice of Inspector General Adds Home Health Work Plan Item
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has added a new item, Analysis of New Rural Add-On Payment Methodology, to its Work Plan, which details various projects, including OIG audits and evaluations that are underway or planned to be addressed during the fiscal year and beyond, by OIG’s Office of Audit Services and Office of Evaluation […]
Read MoreImportant COVID-19 Updates for Providers from the OIG
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has updated COVID-19 information related to Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) deadlines, OIG review deadlines and OIG enforcement activity. The OIG is trying to minimize burdens on providers and be flexible where possible. It is coordinating closely with Health & Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]
Read MoreCMS Revises Safeguards for Medicare Patients in Hospice Care Fact Sheet
NAHC advocacy is a win for hospice As reported at the beginning of February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted a MLN Hospice Fact Sheet, Safeguards for Medicare Patients in Hospice Care, and NAHC communicated with CMS regarding our concerns about some of the fact sheet’s contents. Specifically, a reference to the […]
Read MoreKey Congressional Leaders Develop Legislation to Address OIG Hospice Survey Concerns
NAHC is working with Congress on legislatoin to support hospice, address concerns The reports targeting hospice survey deficiencies and quality of care by the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) last summer have generated considerable activity in Congress, federal agencies, and among hospice stakeholders. While Senate legislation was introduced […]
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