Important New Provider Letter Affecting Both Hospice Providers and Nursing Facilities

Important New Provider Letter Affecting Both Hospice Providers and Nursing Facilities
DADS has replaced April 29, 2005, hospice and nursing facility Provider Letter 05-20 with Long Term Care (LTC) Provider Letter No. 06-07 in order to emphasize that Medicaid hospice providers will not be paid for services unless the hospice provider already has its contract [...]

Delayed and Expired Licenses

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) issued a provider letter (PDF) to Home and Community Support Services Agencies last February regarding delays in initial licensure and Medicare certification. Last week DADS issued an updated letter, reminding providers of a continued delay because of a “very large number” of applications.
To shorten the delay, [...]

Hurricane Katrina Waivers, Computer Updates

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) has released a new provider letter with information on waivers for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. You may access it here (PDF).
This past September, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a waiver that allowed Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Texas to enroll in the waiver program [...]

The Value of Homecare, Relationships

A study featured in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports that elderly patients and their families are more satisfied with homecare, which also resulted in shorter hospital stays and lower costs. (Medical News Today)
Although anyone could have guessed the results, it’s good to have formal studies with hard numbers. Patients generally prefer recovering at home [...]

Telehealth

With budget cuts to Medicare, we can assume that home health care agencies are looking for ways to save money. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pushing for more home health agencies to participate in “telehealth.” Instead of visiting homes, home health agencies can collect information, offer diagnoses and medical advice via telephone. [...]

Get On The Drug Train!

Saturday Night Live does Medicare Part D. Click here to watch. (You will need Windows Media, Real Player or something similar to watch)
(HT Healthy Blog)

GAO to Investigate Reprocessed Medical Devices

Certain medical devices companies have been “reprocessing” medical equipment designed for single use, claiming that there is no evidence that such devices are less safe than new ones. (Medical News Today)
In our litigious society, it seems risky to wait for “evidence.” Apparently, the use of reprocessed devices is fairly common. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) [...]

Medicare Drug Program Opinion Round-up

Medical News Today rounds up opinions from major newspapers on Medicare’s new (and confusing) prescription drug program.
A large part of the problem is government bureaucracy. From the Los Angeles Times (free registration):
Pharmacists are having trouble finding out which plan people are enrolled in, forcing some to leave pharmacies empty-handed. The most desperate are showing up [...]

Homecare Providers Say NO

Homecare providers are trying to stop the passage of a Senate budget bill that would mean “sweeping changes” in capped rental policy and freeze home health reimbursement for 2006, which they say will burden both patients and providers, according to Medical News Today.
The House of Representatives passed its budget bill late last year, but it [...]

CMS Hires Staff to Deal with Medicare Drug Program Confusion

Despite innumerable news stories, op-eds, and general negative reaction about the new drug program, CMS apparently didn’t anticipate delays in filling prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries.
Some beneficiaries have had to pay for prescriptions themselves, and some pharmacies have “loaned” medication until CMS fixes the mess.
Larry Kocot, an adviser to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, said some [...]

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