Speculation has run wild for two years about how CMS might change the home care payment system this time. Talk of payment bundling, where hospitals get all the money and dole it out as they see fit, is already appearing as a workshop topic. Rumors about payments going directly to patients have come and gone. […]
Hospitals are desperate for your help. In less than two years, Medicare will begin to penalize hospitals that do not bring their patient readmission rates under control. Fines will start at 1% of a hospital’s annual Medicare payments in 2012 and rise another percentage point every year until readmissions decline. Hence, hospital administrators will be open to any and all suggestions. Home health care providers are in a key position to help. This report on a presentation delivered last week at the Southwest Regional Home Care Conference by a representative of the Medicare QIO for Louisiana presents concrete steps home care providers can take to increase referrals and revenue by offering to help hospitals with their dilemma.
