OIG
CMS Releases Safeguards for Medicare Patients in Hospice Care
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted a MLN Hospice Fact Sheet, Safeguards for Medicare Patients in Hospice Care, in response to two reports on hospice care by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). (See previous coverage of these reports here and here.) The fact sheet […]
Read MoreOIG Report on Hospice Aide Supervisory Visits
Deficiencies found and remedies recommended by OIG The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released another report pertaining to the quality of hospice care. In this report, Registered Nurses Did Not Always Visit Medicare Beneficiaries’ Homes At Least Once Every 14 Days To Assess The Quality Of […]
Read MoreLegislation to Address OIG Hospice Survey Concerns Introduced in Senate
Today, November 7, 2019, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the “Hospice Care Improvement Act of 2019”, which is designed to refine the hospice survey process, improve compliance, and increase transparency. The bill is a legislative response to the findings of two reports from the Health and Human Services’ Office of the […]
Read MoreOIG Updates Work Plan to Include Review of Hospice Inpatient and Aggregate Cap Calculations
On October 4, 2019, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) began discussions around potential reform of the hospice Aggregate Cap (Cap). MedPAC is considering a recommendation under which the Aggregate Cap would be wage adjusted for the first time in history but may also consider a reduction in the Aggregate Cap amount: at the October […]
Read MoreNAHC Issues Recommendations in Response to OIG Reports on Hospice Survey Performance and Related Concerns
NAHC address OIG concerns, recommend improvements In July the Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued two reports representing in-depth study of findings from Medicare hospice recertification and complaint surveys. One report, Hospice Deficiencies Pose Risks to Medicare Beneficiaries, provides broad findings on frequencies of deficiencies and recommends greater public […]
Read MoreOIG Report Recommends CMS Use CERT Data to Identify High Risk Home Health Agencies
CMS Remains Opposed to Using CERT Data to Identify Improper Payments, Prefers TPE & RCD The Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report pertaining to home health agencies (HHA), The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Could Use Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Data To Identify High-Risk Home […]
Read MoreOIG Finds Medicare Part D Still Spending Millions for Hospice Drugs
Over recent years the Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and others have conducted analyses of spending outside of hospice while patients are on service and determined that Medicare may be paying separately for care (including prescription drugs under Part D) that should be the responsibility of the hospice. […]
Read MoreOIG Report Finds States Need to Do More on Background Checks for Long-Term Care Workers
A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services finds that nine of the 11 states that concluded their participation in the National Background Check Program in 2017 and 2018 did not implement all of the selected Program requirements, primarily due to a lack of legislative […]
Read MoreAfter OIG Reports, House Committee Seeks More Info on Hospice Deficiencies
In response to two reports issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) targeting hospice survey deficiencies and quality of care, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) are seeking more information from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
Read MoreUpdate on the OIG Report on Potential Abuse or Neglect of Patients
Earlier in July, the OIG released a report, CMS Could Use Medicare Data to Identify Instances of Potential Abuse or Neglect, (see NAHC Report coverage here) discussing how the OIG identified potential cases of abuse or neglect utilizing diagnosis codes on claims for beneficiaries treated in emergency rooms. In this report, the OIG also identified […]
Read MoreOIG Releases Two Reports Targeting Hospice Survey Deficiencies and Quality of Care
Earlier this week the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued two reports representing in-depth study of findings from Medicare hospice recertification and complaint surveys. One report, Hospice Deficiencies Pose Risks to Medicare Beneficiaries, provides broad findings on frequencies of deficiencies and recommends greater public access to survey findings as well as increased CMS-sponsored […]
Read MoreOffice of Inspector General Continues Focus on Home Health Agencies
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issues updates to its work plan on a monthly basis through out the year. Since our last report on the OIG’s recent activity updates (NAHC Report https://report.nahc.org/recently-added-oig-work-plan-item-may-impact-home-health-and-hospice-providers/), the OIG announced this month a revision of an issue for home heath agencies […]
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