Articles and Blogs

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Hospice Update: Surveyors Called to Identify Quality of Care Concerns and Potential Fraud Referrals

[01/29/25]

Posted on January 29, 2025 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) is reinforcing its emphasis on hospice quality of care and identifying fraud. On November 13, 2024, CMS issued a QSO Memo, “Ensuring Consistency in the Hospice Survey Process to Identify Quality of Care Concerns and Potential Fraud Referrals” (the “CMS Memo”), addressing the importance of consistency in... READ MORE

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Nursing Home Update: CMS Confirms Acute Respiratory Illness Reporting Requirements

[01/08/25]

Posted on January 8, 2025 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On December 31, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a memo titled “Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Acute Respiratory Illness Reporting Requirements” (“Memo”) to state survey agency directors providing survey guidance related to requirements for long-term care reporting through the National Healthcare Safety Network (“NHSN”) as COVID-19 data reporting requirements ended... READ MORE

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CMS Revises Core Appendix Q Guidance on Immediate Jeopardy

[12/30/24]

Posted on December 30, 2024 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On November 21, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued revised guidance under QSO-25-09-ALL, updating Core Appendix Q of the State Operations Manual regarding findings of immediate jeopardy. These updates are intended to enhance transparency, standardize immediate jeopardy determinations and improve communication with providers, suppliers and laboratories. These revisions apply to... READ MORE

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CMS Updates Disclosure Requirements for Skilled Nursing Facilities – Provider Enrollment Off-Cycle Revalidations

[12/17/24]

Posted on December 17, 2024 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On December 13, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) continued revisions to its “Guidance for SNF Attachment on Form CMS-855A” (“Guidance”). The Guidance is CMS’s subregulatory advice and FAQs to skilled nursing facilities on the completion and submission of the new Form CMS-855A SNF Disclosures Attachment (“SNF Attachment”) for every skilled... READ MORE

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Post-Acute Provider Update: CMS Clarifies Unannounced Site Verification Visits

[12/03/24]

Posted on December 3, 2024 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) provided additional details and information related to CMS provider enrollment site visits. On November 4, 2024, CMS issued a Quality and Safety Special Alert memo (“QSSAM”), “Clarification of CMS’ Provider Enrollment Visits (all providers and suppliers) and Specific Disclosure Requirements for SNFs and NFs.” CMS provides... READ MORE

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Home Health PPS Final Rule for CY 2024: CMS Steps Back from the Brink

[11/28/23]

Posted on November 28, 2023 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On November 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) posted a pre-publication copy of the Calendar Year (“CY”) 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update Final Rule (“2024 Final Rule”), which has since been filed in the Federal Register. The 2024 Final Rule was the subject of a significant amount... READ MORE

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Skilled Nursing Update: CMS Proposes Changes to SNF Value-Based Purchasing, SNF Quality Reporting Program and Civil Monetary Penalties

[05/30/23]

Posted on May 30, 2023 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On April 4, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (“SNF PPS”) for fiscal year 2024. The Proposed Rule also proposes changes and additions to the SNF... READ MORE

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Key Areas of Focus for Skilled Nursing Facilities as the Public Health Emergency Ends

[03/28/23]

Posted on March 28, 2023 in Health Law News, Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced the COVID public health emergency (“PHE”) will expire and end on May 11, 2023. The end of the PHE has a significant impact on skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) as it ends the remaining regulatory blanket waivers, revisits resident Medicaid eligibility and changes many COVID regulations that... READ MORE

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Proposed Ownership Disclosure Requirements for Medicare Skilled Nursing Facilities and Medicaid Nursing Facilities

[02/21/23]

Posted on February 21, 2023 in Health Law News

Published by: Hall Render

On February 13, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) proposed a rule, found here, to implement certain sections of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) that would require the disclosure of certain ownership, managerial and other information regarding Medicare-participating skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”) and Medicaid-participating nursing facilities (“NFs”). The purpose of the... READ MORE

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Skilled Nursing Facilities: Compliance Lessons from Kirkland, Washington

[03/31/20]

Posted on March 31, 2020 in Long-Term Care, Home Health & Hospice

Published by: Hall Render

On March 23, 2020, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced the preliminary results of a recent survey of a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) report, 81 residents, 34 staff and 14 visitors also became... READ MORE

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