The Hospice final rule includes a finalized 3.1% increase in the base rates for Routine, Continuous, GIP, and Inpatient Respite Care. This increase will also be applied to the Hospice aggregate cap, which will be set at $33,494 for fiscal year 2024.
Additionally, it has been confirmed and finalized that there will be a 4% decrease in reimbursement rates for hospices that do not comply with the requirements of the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. These requirements include transmitting 90% of the HIS within 30 days of completion and participating in the CAHPS Hospice Survey.
The telehealth extension for Face-to-Face encounters in recertification situations for hospice patients has also been finalized. This extension will remain in effect until December 31, 2024. However, starting from August 10, the telehealth platform used for these services must be HIPAA compliant.
The latest requirement has been finalized regarding physicians participating in Hospice care. This includes the medical director or attending physician, who is responsible for certifying Hospice patients for their Hospice stay and signing the Certificate of Terminal Illness, which verifies that the patient has a life expectancy of less than six months. Under this new requirement, these physicians will now need to be registered in PECOS. If a physician does not regularly bill Medicare, they will be required to fill out an opt-out form indicating their choice not to bill Medicare. This will ensure that they are included in the PECOS system.
There has been growing concern about fraud, waste, and abuse in the Hospice benefit. One area of focus is ensuring that qualified physicians are responsible for certifying patients for Hospice care, aiming to prevent any fraudulent certifications.
Join us in October for a detailed webinar where we will dive into the various nuances of the Hospice Final Rule. This rule contains important details that impact the hospice industry, and our webinar will provide a comprehensive discussion on these topics. Additionally, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice will be conducting a webinar specifically focused on the implications of the final rule on August 9.
We are facing an extensive struggle in dealing with the numerous alterations that have been implemented regarding the increased supervision and additional medical reviews for hospices throughout the country.
If you are mandated to take part in those reviews, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Healthcare Provider Solutions so we can support you.
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