Department of Health and Human Services Report

Get ready folks, those of you with freestanding and leased Inpatient Units be aware:

In my March 24, 2016 Newsletter Don Schumacher CEO of NHPCO spoke about Medicare Part A, B and D “Leakage”. Thursday March 31, 2016, the HHS Office of Inspector General released a report on the use and misuse of hospice inpatient care in the Medicare Hospice Benefit, entitled, “Hospices Inappropriately Billed Medicare Over $250 Million for General Inpatient Care.”

The OIG recommends the following to CMS in response to their report:

  1. Increase its oversight of hospice GIP claims and review Part D payments for drugs for hospice beneficiaries.
  2. Ensure that a physician is involved in the decision to use GIP.
  3. Conduct prepayment reviews for lengthy GIP stays.
  4. Increase surveyor efforts to ensure that hospices meet care planning requirements.
  5. Establish additional enforcement remedies for poor hospice performance.
  6. Follow up on inappropriate GIP stays, inappropriate Part D payments, and hospices that provided poor-quality care.

Post By: Patti Moore