Author: James Fuccione

Potential Home Care Membership Scam Alert

A member agency of the Home Care Alliance received a notice from a bogus company attempting solicitation of membership dues from home care companies. The Alliance reported the incident to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) and they have since released the special announcement below after hearing of other cases.

In recent weeks, many members of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice have been the victims of potential membership scams. Members have reported receiving a fax from the “National Home Care & Hospice Palliative Care Association,” based out of South Easton, MA. The fax asks for company contact information and calls for dues in the amount of $425. Agencies are then instructed to mail a check back for 2011 membership to the South Easton address. No phone number is listed beneath contact information; an “opt-out” number is listed in fine print at the bottom of the page. This number is simply a recording when called, and no company name is attached to the recorded message.

NAHC urges all members to disregard this fraudulent scam. This company has no affiliation with NAHC, which is located in Washington, D.C., and has not been authorized in any manner to contact NAHC members. Any money paid to such entity likely will be hard to recover. Legal action is currently under consideration.

Please contact the Home Care Alliance if you have received a fax like that indicated above.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

In recent weeks, many members of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice have been the victims of potential membership scams. Members have reported receiving a fax from the “National Home Care & Hospice Palliative Care Association,” based out of South Easton, MA. The fax asks for company contact information and calls for dues in the amount of $425. Agencies are then instructed to mail a check back for 2011 membership to the South Easton address. No phone number is listed beneath contact information; an “opt-out” number is listed in fine print at the bottom of the page. This number is simply a recording when called, and no company name is attached to the recorded message.

NAHC urges all members to disregard this fraudulent scam. This company has no affiliation with NAHC, which is located in Washington, D.C., and has not been authorized in any manner to contact NAHC members. Any money paid to such entity likely will be hard to recover. Legal action is currently under consideration.

HCA, NAHC Offer Guidance on Physician Face-to-Face Requirement

In an effort to assist agencies in navigating their way through a major piece of a recent CMS Final Rule, the Home Care Alliance and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice have released a list of documents aimed at improving the understanding of patients and educating doctors while encouraging their coordination and cooperation.

The requirement is that a face-to-face visit between a patient and their physician is necessary in order to be certified for home health services.  Please see the sample documents below for guidance and for your agency’s use.

A link to the entire Final Rule as published in the Federal Register is available here. The section of note is Letter “F” for the face-to-face requirement, which is available here.

If there are any questions, or if you would like further information, please contact the Home Care Alliance. Please note that clarification has been asked of CMS regarding certain aspects of the rule, including documentation.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Submits Comments to CMS on Moratorum, Screening Requirements Rule

The Home Care Alliance submitted comments on a proposed rule from CMS, specifically focusing on “Temporary Moratoria on Enrollment of Medicare Providers and Suppliers, Medicaid and CHIP Providers.”

The comments point out data that supports the need for a temporary moratorium on Medicare-certified home health providers. For instance:

…from 2001-2006, Medicare spending grew 2.5 times more in states where the number of home health agencies (HHA’s) increased as compared to states where the number of providers remained the same or decreased.

Highlighting the lack of licensure and Certificate of Need, along with the growth in the number of certified agencies, the Alliance saw an opportunity to protect the hard work of existing agencies that have established a tradition of quality and honesty in the business.

Click here to see more on the CMS proposed rule (CMS-2010-0239-0001: “Medicare, Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Programs: Additional Screening Requirements, etc, for Providers and Suppliers)

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

President Obama Recognizes Family Caregivers

President Barack Obama offered a Proclamation that recognizes November as National Family Caregivers Month.

“Every day, family members, friends, neighbors, and concerned individuals across America provide essential attention and assistance to their loved ones,” the presidential proclamation states. “Many individuals in need of care — including children, elders, and persons with disabilities — would have difficulty remaining safely in their homes and community without the support of their relatives and caregivers.”

In addition to November being National Family Caregivers Month, it’s also National Home Care Month. For more information on how to celebrate in your own way, check our previous newsfeed post.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Announcement: CMS Final Rule Cuts Home Care

The Home Care Alliance distributed a press release spotlighting the Final Rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that cuts home health payments and implements barriers between patients and the care they need.

Although some flexibility was gained through advocacy on the proposed rule, the results of the final rule are still damaging to the industry. Federal elected officials for Massachusetts were instrumental in helping to achieve some of that flexibility, but more work will need to be done as CMS plans to re-evaluate its assessment methodology in making any case mix adjustnments for 2012.

New Medicare Final Rule Cuts Home Care
Rule Scaled Back from Original Proposal, Still Damaging to Home Health Services

Home care agencies and organizations across the country knew that nearly $40 billion in cuts to Medicare home health services over the next decade were going to be included in the Affordable Care Act, but the home health industry did not expect an additional $960 million reduction in 2011 alone.

That extra cut was the result of a new final rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that also will place a number of restrictions on those attempting to certify, administer, and receive home health services.

“We understand the federal government’s is trying to save Medicare by slowing growth in spending, but the degree of cuts contained in this rule are too much, too fast,” said Home Care Alliance Executive Director Patricia Kelleher. “At time when all the evidence shows that patients being admitted to home health are sicker and in need of even greater resources Medicare is reducing payments by almost five percent. This is on top of a 2.79 percent cut last year. The industry cannot continue to sustain cuts upon cuts.”

Also new to the Medicare program, CMS is now requiring a face-to-face visit between physician and patient before a home health plan can be certified. The timeframe for such a visit was extended to 90 days before the start of care or 30 days after the start of care, which is an improvement on the 30-day/14 day timeline in the original proposed rule. However, this new rule may still be a barrier to care for patients too ill to get out to a doctor or unable to get a timely appointment.

Much of the proposed rule was meant to curb what Medicare sees as excessive growth of the program in some parts of the county. But imposing an across the board cut only makes the work of caring for people at home more difficult for the providers who have always played by the programmatic rules set by CMS.

“Working with Senator Kerry, the home health industry was able to negotiate a level of payment reform for home health in the Affordable Care Act that would have been sustainable over the next few years,” added Kelleher, “but the Medicare program has far exceeded what they were instructed to do by Congress.”

Massachusetts was the only state in the nation to have the entire federal legislative delegation – all Congresspersons and both Senators – sign a letter in opposition to the level of cuts in the CMS proposed rule.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

NY Times: Medicare Standards Too Strict

The New York Times reported on a federal court ruling that said Medicare beneficiaries do not have to show that their conditions will improve as a result of home health care.

According to the article:

“Medicare will pay for those services if they are needed to maintain a person’s ability to perform routine activities of daily living or to prevent deterioration of the person’s condition, the courts said. Medicare beneficiaries do not have to prove that their condition will improve, as the government sometimes contends, the courts said.”

The Home Care Alliance obtained a copy of a letter sent by 17 members of Congress to the Director of the Center for Medicare Management arguing against the improvement standard. US Representative Barney Frank was among the cosigners of the letter, which is available here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Join HCA in Celebrating National Home Care Month

November is National Home Care Month and the Home Care Alliance continues to work on spreading awareness of the great work performed by home care and home health providers everyday as well as highlighting issues of concern to the industry.

Although Family Caregiver Appreciation Day is officially postponed, HCA has a number of ways to get the word out about the important services provided by home care agencies and family caregivers that allow people in need to remain in their communities.

Here are a few ways YOU can help raise awareness on National Home Care Month.

For home care providers:

  • Tailor this press release on Home Care Month to include information about your agency and the services you provide. Then, distribute to your local newspaper and/or local senior newsletter (Please contact the Alliance if you would like assistance or have any questions).

For Everyone:

  • Print and display the different posters in your community.

–Home Care: Guaranteeing Health Care Freedom (1)

–Home Care: Guaranteeing Health Care Freedom (2)

–Ted Kennedy Poster

–Honoring the Caregiver

–Preserving Health Independence and Freedom

–No place like home

–Compassionate Health Care Delivered to your Doorstep

 

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org

Videos from the Senior Spectacular Event

The Home Care Alliance was involved in exhibiting and speaking to seniors about home care services at the 2010  Senior Spectacular in Worcester. The Massachusetts Falls Prevention Coalition was a huge part of the event with an exhibit booth and activities for the seniors in attendance. Below is an introduction to those activities and a Tai Chi demonstration aimed at increasing balance and helping to prevent falls.

 

 

 

 

New Advocacy Message on Nurse Delegation

A new message is available on the HCA’s Legislative Action Center in an effort to get the Nurse Delegation Bill (Senate Bill 860) through the House and to the Governor’s desk.

This message is aimed at the House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading, which is the last stop before the House can advance this important legislation.

See the top message titled “Please Pass Nurse Delegation for Better Home Health” and click below the title to take action!

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Family Caregiver Appreciation Day, Nov. 16

Taking care of a loved one who is elderly or disabled is never a simple task, but the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts aims to make it a little easier with a unique event called Family Caregiver Appreciation Day, which will be held at the Hogan Center at College of the Holy Cross on Tuesday, November 16 from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  The all-day event marks November as Family Caregiver Appreciation Month.

The day will include workshops conducted by the Elder & Disability Law Advocates, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts, Philips Lifeline, Central Mass. Agency on Aging, Commonwealth Medicine, and Aviv Centers for Living. A critically-acclaimed independent short film titled “The Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn,” which deals with aging issues, will see its first local showing. Attendees will also hear inspirational presentations from a pair of authors who have written about caregiving.

Walgreens Pharmacy will conduct a flu shot clinic, and the MA College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Pharmacy Outreach Program will provide attendees with a ”Medication Check-up” to review meds and answer any questions they have.  Caregivers can bring any medications (including prescriptions, over- the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements) they or a loved one currently takes on the day of the event.

Interested agencies can help the Alliance promote the event by distributing this flier to patients, families, and around your local community.

Several agencies have already committed to supporting attendees at the event by donating homemaker/aide hours to a “Free Care For Caregivers” bank to provide respite care that day to allow family caregivers to attend the event.  Agencies interested in donating respite care hours should contact Patricia Kelleher as soon as possible!

Agencies can also register family caregiver attendees yourself at your agency and send a single list to us.  We would like some form of contact information – either a mailing address or email address – in addition to the names of attendees so we can send confirmations and additional info about the event.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.