HCA Supporting Elder Lobby Day at State House

Although Home Care Alliance staff will be advocating for home health care in Washington DC on March 24-26, the HCA is still stepping up with support for an Elder Lobby Day at the State House on Monday, March 24th.

The Alliance is a sponsor for the event and will be well represented with Bayada Home Health Care, Associated Home Care and other agencies joining the following organizations and their representatives:

  • Mass Home Care
  • The Caring Force
  • Home Care Aide Council
  • AARP Massachusetts
  • Mass Senior Action Council
  • Mass Councils On Aging
  • Mass Human Services Provider’s Council
  • Mass Association of Older Americans
  • LGBT Aging Project
  • Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

A speaking program will take place between 11:00am and 2:00pm on March 24th at the Grand Staircase (second floor of the State House). Afterwards, attendees will be stopping by legislative offices to drop off information about their organizations and to advocate on elder policy issues.

For more information on the event, contact James Fuccione at the Alliance.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Nominations Extended for Innovations Showcase & Star Awards

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The Home Care Alliance of MA is planning a special afternoon to honor and showcase the best people and programs in our industry today at a gala celebration of innovation and excellence on Tuesday, April 29, at the historic John F. Kennedy Library.  

This event offers member agencies two opportunities to shine:

  1. Nominate a program, product, or operational change that has either a) enhanced the well-being of patients, clients, or the community, b) driven efficiency in operations or the health care system, or c) enhanced the productivity or satisfaction of agency staff.
  2. Nominate an employee or homecare supporter for a STAR Award. These awards celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the everyday heroes in our midst who make incredible differences in the lives of their patients/clients and their families. Though there are too few opportunities to recognize all who deserve one, a STAR award brings with it some well-deserved recognition for both the agency and the individual.

Nominations may be made by Alliance agencies, their patients, or their partner organizations.  Download & complete the nomination form to let the world know about your best & brightest. The deadline to submit your nominations has been extended to March 14, 2014.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

See Our Previous Physician of the Year, and Nominate Your Own!

The Home Care Alliance is hosting the annual Home Care Innovation Showcase and STAR Awards on April 29th at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Among those the Alliance recognizes is a “Physician of the Year,” which is nominated by an agency or community partner and awarded to a physician or nurse practitioner who has demonstrated:

  • Active involvement in the homehealth field,
  • Outspoken support for health care delivered in the home; and
  • Longevity in the home health profession

Last year’s Physician of Year award winner was Dr. James Everett who is Medical Director for Hospice of the South Shore. He was nominated by the Hospice’s Director Barbara Karkos who lauded Dr. Everett’s collaborative nature.

HCA's 2013 Physician of the Year, Dr. James Everett
HCA’s 2013 Physician of the Year, Dr. James Everett

“Dr. Everett consistently combines compassion with clinical expertise, always working with us to ‘do the right thing’ for each patient and family,” said Karkos of Dr. Everrett. “He demonstrates true partnership in all of his interactions with the staff at Hospice, as well as with his colleagues in the community, and with patients and families he visits in the home.”

Karkos also touted Dr. Everett’s ability to be innovative in embracing new technology and improving processes, especially when it came to the “physician face-to-face” requirement.

The Home Care Alliance knows there are many “Dr. Everetts” out there and look forward to awarding the next Home Care Physician of the Year.

To nominate a physician, see our nomination form.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

One Care Initiative Launches Ombudsman Program

The Massachusetts One Care Initiative, which aims to better coordinate care and services for dually eligible individuals ages 21-64, officially launched the One Care Ombudsman program (OCO). Home health agencies involved in One Care should be aware of this new resource.

According to a notice sent by the state, the OCO:

  • Is an independent program operated by the Disability Policy Consortium (contracted by EOHHS) and its partners, Health Care For All (HCFA) and Consumer Quality Initiatives (CQI);
  • Addresses concerns and helps resolve conflicts regarding members’ enrollment in One Care or access to covered benefits and services so they can receive the benefits and exercise the rights they are entitled to in One Care; and
  • Works with members and their representatives, as well as MassHealth and the three One Care plans, to find resolutions to members’ concerns or complaints.

The OCO does not duplicate or replace other resources that are already available to help people with One Care (such as the SHINE program, the One Care plans’ member services, and MassHealth Customer Service). The OCO is an additional resource to support members who need or request independent problem-resolution assistance beyond what is available now. The OCO provides three main types of services: Continue reading “One Care Initiative Launches Ombudsman Program”

ODF for Home Health and Hospice, March 5th

The next Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday,, March 5, 2014 at 2:00 PM

To participate by phone:

Dial: 1-800-837-1935 & Reference Conference ID: 71246014

Proposed Agenda

1. Opening Remarks

2. Announcements & Updates

  • Hospice and Part D
  • Hospice Claims Reporting
  • Hospice & CAHS
  • Hospice Quality Update
  • FY2015 and FY2016 reporting cycles
  • Hospice CAHPS survey
  • HH CAHPS
  • Home Health Quality Update

For details visit the ODF Website

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Medicare Advantage Cuts Proposed

A national trade association of health insurers, America’s Health Insurance Plans, is strongly protesting a new round of proposed cuts to 2015 Medicare Advantage payment rates. Preliminary estimate of the combined effect of the Medicare Advantage growth percentage and the fee-for-service growth percentage is estimated to be -1.9 percent,” CMS said Friday in releasing their proposed rule.

“The new proposed Medicare Advantage cuts would cause seniors in the program to lose benefits and choices on which they depend.  Last year’s six percent cut to Medicare Advantage rates resulted in higher premiums, reduced benefits, fewer coverage options, and loss of provider choices for seniors.  Another round of payment cuts would be devastating to the more than 15 million seniors and people with disabilities that have chosen to enroll in Medicare Advantage for the better benefits and higher quality coverage these plans provide.
The politics of Medicare Advantage are expected to be an issue in some upcoming elections, according to Washington observers.

 

CMS Reopens Bundled Payment Initative for Post-Acute Care

The Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, has been reopened for additional models focusing on post-acute.

Through the initiative, organizations partner together and enter into payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability for episodes of care. There four models of bundled payment being tested, but models 2 and 3 are areas where home health agencies can play a central role.

  • Model 2 is titled Retrospective Acute Care Hospital Stay plus Post-Acute Care, where the episode of care includes the inpatient stay in the acute care hospital and all related services during the episode.
  • Model 3 is Retrospective Post-Acute Care Only, where the episode of care is triggered by an acute care hospital stay and begins at initiation of post-acute care services with a participating home health agency, skilled nursing facility, inpatient rehabilitation facility, long-term care hospital.

More information on the program and the “open period” where new proposals can be submitted is available here. In order to be considered for participation in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, all open period submissions must be submitted by April 18, 2014.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Innovations & Star Award Nominations Open

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Once again, the Alliance is planning a special afternoon to honor and showcase the best people and programs in our industry today. This celebration of innovation and excellence will take place on April 29th at the historic John F. Kennedy Library.  Invitations to attend will be sent to a broad health care audience.

This event offers member agencies two opportunities to shine:

  1. Nominate a program, product, or operational change that has either a) enhanced the well-being of patients, clients, or the community, b) driven efficiency in operations or the health care system, or c) enhanced the productivity or satisfaction of agency staff.
  2. Nominate an employee or homecare supporter for a STAR Award. These awards celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of the everyday heroes in our midst who make incredible differences in the lives of their patients/clients and their families. Though there are too few opportunities to recognize all who deserve one, a STAR award brings with it some well-deserved recognition for both the agency and the individual.

Nominations may be made by Alliance agencies, their patients, or their partner organizations.  Download & complete the nomination form to let the world know about your best & brightest.  Nominations are due by March 7, 2014.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

2014 Private Care Guides Are Here!

The Alliance is pleased to announce the publication of the 2014 edition of the Guide to Private Home Care Services, which will begin shipping next week.

The new edition... is three editions!
The new edition… is three editions!

New this year, the Guide has been split into three regional editions:

  • Boston & Northeastern Massachusetts (covering Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolks, as well as the city of Brookline);
  • South-of-Boston, Cape, and Islands (covering Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties); and
  • Central & Western Massachusetts (covering Worcester, Franklin, Hampshire, and Berkshire counties);

The new system greatly streamlines the user experience, showing customers and families agencies who provide service where it’s needed without overwhelming them with information.  The county-by-county cross-references have also been revamped, and our popular “The Agency Advantage” essay (explaining the benefits of working with an agency instead of a direct hire) is now prominently featured on the rear cover.

Copies will begin shipping next week.  Additional copies will be available for order on our website shortly.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Enforcement Again Delayed on “Two Midnight” Hospital Rule

CMS has delayed enforcement and penalties related to its new and controversial “two midnight rule. ” The deadline to begin enforcement of the rule had already been delayed from Oct. 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014 and is now being pushed back to September 30, 2014.

The final hospital rule, published last August, modifies and clarifies CMS’s longstanding admissions policy for payment purposes. The 2-midnight benchmark states that if the admitting practitioner admits a Medicare beneficiary as an inpatient with the reasonable expectation that the beneficiary will require care that “crosses 2 midnights,” Medicare Part A payment is “generally appropriate,” assuming medical record documentation justifies the admission.

The attempt to clarify admission rules was in part driven by beneficiary complaints about increased use, and length of, observation stays, which left some patients who went to nursing homes subject to surprise 20% copayments.

The AHA and the AMA have been lobbying strongly for a repeal or delay of the the new rule.  AHA questions CMS’s assertion that the new rule will bring in more revenue as hospitals will be able to bill full inpatient rates on cases that may have been outpatient in the past.

AHA has threatened litigation around the issue.