In the fall of every year the home health industry waits in anticipation as CMS prepares to publish the Final Rules for the next year. Thankfully, in the summer, CMS does provide a prequel and an opportunity for the industry to submit comments related to the proposed changes. We are currently in that comment period. CMS published the 2026 Proposed Rules in the Federal Register recently and along with PDGM and payment rate changes, a significant proposed change revolves around the face-to-face...
Home health and hospice agencies may be eligible for certain waivers and flexibilities if their agency operates in affected disaster areas of Texas. In response to the 2025 Texas severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding, the Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) effective July 2, 2025 and CMS has waivers available for Texas health care providers in the affected counties. These waivers and other flexibilities are in effect through the end ...
Compliance programs are often an area of confusion for home health and hospice agencies. A compliance program may be required, or it may be voluntary, dependent on organization requirements, and/or accrediting organization standards. For those that have a choice, many wonder, “Since it is required that we be compliant with Medicare and Medicaid regulations and other federal laws like the False Claims Act, why is a compliance program voluntary?” HCL has answered below several frequently asked ...
Are you ready for fall and winter? While most of us look forward to the change of seasons, agency owners know that fall and winter bring more weather-related emergencies that impact our business, employees, and patients. With the current hurricane activity impacting so many home care agencies in several states, weather is on everyone’s mind. It is a good time to review emergency preparedness plans for possible situations this upcoming season (weather and non-weather related). This is also a g...