HCA Offers Comments on PECOS

The Home Care Alliance joined agencies and organizations from across the country in submitting comments on the Interim Final Rule requiring physicians enroll in PECOS (Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System).

The Alliance submitted comments because the regulation change, although directly related to physicians, would prohibit home health agencies from submitting claims to Medicare for reimbursement if the physician was not enrolled in the online PECOS system.

Due to inquiry from federal elected officials, letters and comments, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice clarifying that they will, “for the time being, not implement changes that would automatically reject claims based on orders, certifications, and referrals made by providers that have not yet had their applications approved by July 6, 2010.”

The notice continued that “While the regulation will be effective July 6, 2010, CMS will not implement automatic rejections of claims submitted by providers that have attempted to enroll in PECOS.  However, until the automatic rejections are operational, providers should not see any change in the processing of submitted claims, they will continue to be reviewed and paid as they have historically been reviewed and paid.”

The Home Care Alliance’s comments call for a delay in the implantation of the regulation to October 1, 2010 and also to hold home health agencies and other Medicare part B providers harmless for claims submitted prior to that date for services ordered by physicians not listed in PECOS.

To take action, fill out this form and send an email to your federal elected officials.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Brooksby Village Home Support

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Brooksby Village Home Support, a private duty agency located in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Issues PECOS Physician Notice for Agencies

In an effort to alert physicians referring patients for Medicare home health services about PECOS (Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System), the Home Care Alliance has drafted an “Important Notice to Physicians“ document for members to use.

The document summarizes the PECOS issue as well as instructions for physicians on the enrollment process.

For more information and background on PECOS, visit this blog post.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Interim Healthcare of the Berkshires

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Interim Healthcare of the Berkshires, a private duty agency located in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Comment to CMS on PECOS, and Lobby Congress

For those looking to comment on the PECOS (Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System) issue, visit this link on regulations.gov and click on “submit comment.”

HCA strongly suggests that members also send a message to Congress (scroll all the way down to the last message on the list) and call the office of Senator John Kerry and US Representative to follow up on the Alliance’s letter and alerting their offices to the timeliness and urgency of the matter.

If you’re unsure who represents you in the US House of Representatives, click here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Visiting Angels of Chelmsford

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Visiting Angels of Chelmsford, a private duty agency located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Bring Care Home

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Bring Care Home, a private duty agency located in Topsfield, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Announcing Agency Accreditation Program

In the absence of meaningful licensure requirements for home care providers in Massachusetts, the Home Care Alliance has established a series of Accreditation Standards as a means to promote quality services, ethical business standards, and superior employment practices.  The goal of these standards is to ensure that the clients served by agencies accredited by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts receive safe, competent, quality, and respectful home care services.

Benefits of Accreditation:

The Home Care Agency Accreditation Program of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts allows agencies that provide in-home client services to demonstrate that they meet high standards of quality.  Accreditation:

  • Shows clients and families that your caregivers are direct employees and that you carry workers’ compensation, liability insurance, and an employee dishonesty bond.
  • Demonstrates that your caregivers receive background checks, screening, and proper training for their job.
  • Proves your commitment to following ethical and legal guidelines in your business operations.
  • Provides a competitive edge in the marketplace and can contribute to securing new business.
  • Enhances staff recruitment and development by showing your commitment to fair labor standards.

Accredited agencies receive recognition in several ways:

  • Use of the Alliance’s Accreditation Logo to show your commitment to quality on your website, brochures, and stationery.
  • Listing on the Alliance’s website as an Accredited Agency.
  • For Alliance member agencies, designation as an Accredited Agency in the Alliance’s print directories and in the Find an Agency function on the Alliance’s website, which enhances your visibility and credibility.

To learn more, visit the program’s website and download an application today.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Medicare Ruling Puts Home Health Patients at Risk

A provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act published recently by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) states that, as of July 6th, home health agencies will be prohibited from submitting claims for reimbursement from physicians who have not enrolled in a new online system.

Failure to register in the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System, or PECOS, would also block these physicians, who can still see Medicare patients, from referring new patients for Medicare-covered home health services.

At issue is that CMS has not adequately educated physicians about this new requirement.  The result is that as many as 50% of physicians in Massachusetts (NAHC estimates 20-40 percent nationally) have not registered on PECOS.  Moreover, the registration and approval process can take several weeks, so even if physicians were to register immediately, their status would not be approved by the July 6 deadline.

HCA, along with the VNA of Boston and other agencies and organizations are urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Congress to delay implementation of the rule until such time as physicians have ample time to enroll and also to hold harmless the home health providers that will suffer from the abrupt transition.

What to do:

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

MA Senate Passes Nurse Delegation, Bill Moves to House

The Home Care Alliance is applauding the state Senate’s passage of the Nurse Delegation bill (S.860) and is urging the House of Representatives to follow suit.

S. 860 would refine the Commonwealth’s Nurse Practice Act (NPA) to allow appropriate nurse delegation practices to include delegation of medication administered by home health aides in the home setting.

Thanks to the advocacy of HCA members and the work of supporting organizations, the bill moves one step closer to the Governor’s desk and lobbying efforts are now directed at the House.

An NEW email message aimed at State Representatives is available in the Legislative Action Center. Just click on the message regarding Nurse Delegation. If you choose to call your local State Representative, a fact sheet is also available as a guide.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.