Implications for Home-Based Care Providers in the CY 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule
On December 1,  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long-awaited CY 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule. The MPFS Final Rule includes payment and policy changes that will significantly impact home-based care providers. Decreased Reimbursement for Home and Domiciliary Visits...
No Place Like Home: House Calls Enable Homebound Older Adults To Receive Care During COVID-19
National nonprofit equips healthcare providers and practices with resources to provide home-based primary care SCHAUMBURG, IL  | Dec. 3, 2020 | PRNewswire Primary care “house calls,” in which clinicians deliver care directly in a patient’s home, can be a critical lifeline for homebound older adults, especially...
Preparing for Flu Season
Flu season is always challenging and, with the current Public Health Emergency (PHE), advance planning will be even more important. Here are some tips to help you prepare: Order the appropriate quantity of flu shots. Review usage trends from past years, including how many were ordered versus how...
COVID-19 Update: CMS Paying Providers for Counseling Services
On July 30th, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will begin paying qualified healthcare professionals (i.e., MD, NP, PA, CNS, CNM) for counseling services provided to traditional Medicare beneficiaries when related to the administration of a COVID-19 test. Clinicians are advised...
COVID-19 Update: New CMS Virtual Training
On July 21, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new 10-week, virtual peer-to-peer learning community entitled, HHS Telemedicine Hack. The training was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness Response (ASPR),...
Keeping Humanity in House Calls: How One Question Can Change So Much
May 15, 2020 About the Article: HCCInsights sat down with Dr. Thomas Cornwell, Executive Chairman, Home Centered Care Institute, to learn how he keeps humanity in house calls, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stress and feelings of isolation can be elevated in many patients and caregivers. HCCInsights: What...
CMS releases additional interim final rule, creating more telehealth flexibility and featuring significant regulatory changes
On April 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a second Interim Final Rule with new flexibilities and changes relevant to home-based medical care providers. The changes in this most recent Interim Final Rule are effective immediately, with many modifications retroactively effective as of...
The Power of Three: Grant Recipients Continue to Advance Home-Based Primary Care
In the Fall of 2019, The John A. Hartford Foundation awarded a three-year, $1.6M grant entitled, Moving and Scaling Home-Based Primary Care Phase II: Quality, Training and Advocacy. The project aims to improve care for the more than two million older adults who are the “invisible homebound” with...
HCCIntelligence™ Update: COVID-19 Telehealth Billing Requirements
In our recent article, Providing Telephonic and Virtual Care Requirements as part of COVID-19 Precautions, available on HCCI’s COVID-19 Information Hub, we highlighted the requirements of virtual visits. We also provided an overview of the 1135 Telehealth Waiver as part of the president’s emergency declaration during...
HCCI and NNPEN Conference: Different Strategies, Shared Vision
How can Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and others effectively start-up and/or expand a home-based primary care (HBPC) practice? Just ask the participants who attended the February 7- 8 joint conference hosted by the Home Centered Care Institute (HCCI) and the National Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneur Network (NNPEN) in...