CMS Expands Home Health Moratoriums

CMS has issued a six month moratorium on new Medicare Home Health Agencies located in the following areas:

City                                        Counties

Fort Lauderdale, FL           Broward

Detroit, MI                           Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw & Wayne

Dallas, TX                              Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall & Tarrant

Houston, TX                         Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery & Waller

CMS has extended the moratorium for another six months for Medicare Home Health Agencies located in the following areas:

City                                        Counties

Chicago, IL                            Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry & Will

Miami, FL                              Miami-Dade & Monroe

For more information please utilize the following link:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-02-04/pdf/2014-02166.pdf

CMS Reverses Hospice Patient Vaccine Restrictions

CMS issued Transmittal 1339 on February 6, 2014 to reverse its previous rule that restricted payment for hospice beneficiary vaccines.  In the previous rule only the hospice would be eligible to receive payment for vaccines for hospice patients.  They have determined that this enforcement is too restrictive.  This removes the previous rule Change Request 8098.  Any provider will now be allowed to furnish and receive payment for vaccines to hospice beneficiaries.

For more information please utilize the following link:

http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/Downloads/R1339OTN.pdf

Affordable Care Act Delayed Again

The Obama administration announced Monday afternoon that it is delaying the employer mandate for businesses with between 50 and 99 employees until January 2016.  It also made a change to businesses that have 100 or more employees.  They will still be required to cover their employees beginning on January 2015, but the percentage of employees covered by employer health insurance has dropped to 70%.

We will publish a link when the final rule is published