(December 31, 2010): In case you missed it, Congress, President Obama and the healthcare regulators had a banner year with respect to regulatory activism in 2010. Over the next several weeks we will be releasing a series of articles on our website addressing these dramatic changes and the... Keep Reading

Selecting the right home healthcare software application for your business is not an easy task. Whether opting to hire external consultants, go it alone, or just rely on sales people, the level of complexity remains the same. With the growing number of software vendors, the process of selecting the... Keep Reading

Baby boomers, the generation that once vowed to never trust anyone over 30, begin turning 65 this year. This is a historic moment, ushering a demographic tsunami through the threshold of old age. Though this birthday no longer guarantees full retirement benefits, the big six-five still means one thing: Medicare eligibility.... Keep Reading

WASHINGTON – Medicare recipients could see a sizable new out-of-pocket charge for home health visits if Congress follows through on a recommendation issued Thursday by its own advisory panel. Until now, home health visits from nurses and other providers have been free of charge to patients. But the Medicare Payment Advisory... Keep Reading

For a time during his 17 years of running a house call-based practice, the pay was so bad for Tom Cornwell, MD, that his family lived off his wife's income. But physicians like Dr. Cornwell say they are finding themselves much more in demand. During the last decade, Medicare has increased... Keep Reading

New Medicare Rule: Reporting of Additional Data on HHA claims for Nursing and Therapy Visits In order for CMS to collect more specific information regarding the types of services provided to home health patients, CMS is has revised the current descriptions for existing G-codes for physical therapists (G0151), occupational therapists (G0152),... Keep Reading

January 5, 2011 (WLS) -- A former Chicago woman who claimed her business provided psychotherapy services to Medicare beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities has pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare of more than $1.25 million. Patricia Young, 51, of Newton, Miss., owned and operated a defunct business, Healthy People 2000 Inc., through... Keep Reading

In 2011, there will be 7,000 new Medicare beneficiaries each day; a total of 2.5 million baby boomers who will swamp America's senior's health care insurance program. According to AARP (American Association for Retired Person's), 70 million individuals are estimated to be Medicare beneficiaries over the next 20 years, compared... Keep Reading

Home health care technology may provide one important solution to global concerns about how to sustain health care systems threatened by rising costs and manpower shortages, but such a change faces multiple obstacles to adoption, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The study finds that a wide array of... Keep Reading

The following is a clarification of the required Administrative hours training summarized from Title 40, Chapter 97, Subchapter C, and Division 3 of the Texas Administrative Code First-Time Administrator on or After December 1, 2006 A first-time administrator and alternate administrator of an agency must each complete a total of 24 clock... Keep Reading

PPS Refinement 2011: “Physician Face to Face Encounter” As part of the Affordable Care Act that was signed into legislation on March 23, 2010, several refinements to the Perspective Payment System (PPS) were enacted. One of these refinements which will have an immediate impact on reimbursement and compliance is the Physician... Keep Reading