Father’s Day: A Reminder of the Importance of Spending Time at Home with Family
With Father’s Day approaching, the important role family plays in an individual’s daily life, particularly as a person ages, becomes impossible to overlook. As American families grow and seniors transition from the role of parent to grandparent (or even great grandparent!), the ability to celebrate comfortably with family becomes more and more central. On holidays…
Older Americans Month Highlights the Importance of Home Healthcare
May is Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate the contributions older Americans make in their communities. The theme this year is “Age Out Loud.” It’s a time to empower America’s seniors to speak up about what it means to get older. More than ever before, older Americans are working longer, pursuing new opportunities,…
New Study Shows Why We Need to Expand the Home Health Rural Safeguard
A new study by the Moran Company uncovered the many challenges home health beneficiaries in rural areas face in accessing care. The study found significant disparities between rural and urban home health beneficiaries: In 2014, seniors living in rural areas were 15% less likely to receive home health services. Medicare home…
Good News: CMS is Re-thinking the Home Health Pre-Claim Review Demonstration
On March 31, the home health community received some good news from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)! CMS announced that it would stop the planned implementation of a Pre-Claim Review Demonstration (PCRD) in Florida, which would have applied new, mandatory regulatory requirements on all home health agencies operating across the state…
Florida Lawmakers Urge Secretary Price, CMS to Reject Pre-Claim Review
This week, a bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, MD urging him to reject the Medicare Home Health Pre-Claim Review Demonstration and replace it with a more effective program to tackle Medicaid fraud. The letter, which was signed by twenty-seven members of Florida’s Congressional…
PQHH’s 2017 Policy Priorities
As we move into 2017 and welcome a new Administration and Congress, the Partnership has outlined policy priorities for 2017. While it is hopeful that the new Administration will provide regulatory relief from multiple, duplicative programs detailed below, the Partnership will continue to press on with Congress to make critical changes. Pre-Claim Review Last…
Remembering the Importance of Home for Our Seniors Around the Holidays
As families around the country gather to celebrate the holidays this year, giving gifts and spending quality time with loved ones, it’s important to reflect on the importance of home and the comfort and security it provides. For many American seniors, nothing is more important than being able to remain at home while recovering…
Congress Must Enact the PUSH Act to Protect Seniors Home Healthcare
As Congress wraps up for the year, the Partnership is again calling on Congress to enact the Pre-Claim Undermines Seniors’ Health (PUSH) Act of 2016, which would delay the implementation of the home health pre-claim review demonstration until Medicare and home health agencies are prepared to manage the process without disrupting care delivery. Since…
Don’t Forget About Seniors’ Issues on Election Day
Today is Election Day! Nearly 146 million Americans are currently registered to vote and millions across the country will cast their ballots not only for the U.S. President, but also for state, local, and county offices. America’s senior citizens play a powerful role in the electoral process. Approximately 46 million Americans aged 65 + are…
Illinois Congressional Delegation Asks CMS to Delay Pre-Claim Review
Earlier this month, CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt received a letter signed by every member of the Illinois Congressional delegation urging him to suspend the Pre-Claim Review Demonstration (PCRD) program in the state. Since the program began on August 3, providers have reported numerous improper care denials and technical issues with the state’s Medicare Administrative Contractor…