Home Health and Hospice Updates

Educational Modules Available for Hospice

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released two series of educational modules for streaming by hospice providers. Both series are available on CMS’s YouTube channels as short, self-directed segments (or modules). Slides and speaker notes for each series are also available on the “Hospice Quality Reporting Training: Training and Education Library” webpage.

The first series focuses on helping providers navigate the websites pertinent to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP). We are excited to share the newly designed CMS HQRP website along with the CAHPS^® survey website and the QIES Technical Support Office (QTSO) website to improve the user experience. This series also reminds providers of the Help Desks available to them to assist with HQRP-related questions.

The second series focuses on refined coding guidance for the Hospice Item Set (HIS). Based on questions frequently asked on the Hospice Quality Help Desk, CMS has produced refined coding guidance for select HIS items. Refined coding guidance includes additional clarification on clinical examples, tips, and item-level HIS coding guidance.

Home Health Prospective Payment System Booklet – Revised

CMS has also issued a revised Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Booklet. It addresses HH PPS background, consolidated billing requirements, criteria that must be met to qualify for home health services, therapy services, elements of and updates to the HH PPS, physician billing and payment for home health services, market basket for calendar year 2018, and the Home Health Quality Reporting Program.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871