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OIG Estimates $42 Million in Improper Medicare Payments for Advance Care Planning

Hospice News

million in improper payments in 2019. OIG found that — out of a sample of 691 ACP claims from 2019 — close to 70% (466) did not comply with requirements. Office settings accounted for 61% of all ACP billing between 2016 and 2019, according to OIG. That needs to be fixed so that goals of care can be addressed.”.

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Preventing Adverse Drug Events in Hospice Care

Hospice News

Documentation errors and a fragmented health system pose the greatest risks for adverse drug events among hospices. Adverse drug events (ADEs) present on a spectrum from discomfort to medical emergency, so the impacts can range widely,” Krout told Hospice News in an email.

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Physician, Legislator Morhaim: Hospices Should Be Vocal About Advance Care Plans

Hospice News

Effective documentation of end-of-life choices has been associated with higher likelihood of hospice enrollment and lower incidence of intensive therapies, even during hospital stays, a 2019 JAMA Network study found. After he discussed the patient’s documented wishes with the family, they were calmed.

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Hospices Climbing ‘Steeper Stairs’ as UPIC, TPE Audits Spike

Hospice News

million in FY 2019 But UPICs and hospice providers sometimes disagree on what constitutes an improper payment. CMS audits present more than merely administrative or procedural hurdles. The contractor then pulls and examines between 20 and 40 of the organization’s claims and supporting medical documentation.

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The Rise of Malpractice Claims Against NPs

Daily Nurse

In December 2019, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) reported that 290,000 NPs were licensed to practice in the United States. Document your patient care assessments, observations, communications, and actions in an objective, timely, accurate, complete, and appropriate manner.

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Hospice Length of Stay: Balancing Patient Needs Against Regulatory Compliance

Hospice News

days the prior year in 2019, representing the “largest increase” during the previous five years of incremental growth, NHPCO reported. Nevertheless, longer stays continue to trigger regulatory audits and additional documentation requests. In 2020, the average length of stay for Medicare patients enrolled in hospice was 97.0

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Regulators Taking Aim at Hospice PE Backers

Hospice News

Ginn made these comments in a presentation at the Bank of America Securities Annual Healthcare Conference in Las Vegas. An estimated 16% of Medicare hospice enrollees received care from either a private equity-owned or a publicly traded hospice company in 2019, up from 11% in 2012, a recent study reported.

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