COVID-19 remained a substantial obstacle to hospices’ efforts to comply with quality data reporting obligations in 2021. Those challenges resulted in a number of hospices receiving notices of a 2% Medicare payment reduction...more
For the last two-and-a-half years, hospices and other providers have been using billions in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments to prepare for, respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of Inspector...more
Our hospice team has been fielding questions from hospices across the country on administering COVID-19 vaccination requirements. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by colleague Jessica Brown, where...more
What is the latest on vaccine mandates? In this episode, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske is joined by colleague Tom O’Day to discuss the newly released OSHA and CMS rules. They'll uncover the surprises, discuss how to...more
11/12/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospice ,
Masks ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In this first episode of the Husch Blackwell Hospice Team’s 3-part “Hospice and the False Claims Act” series, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske, Bryan Nowicki, Jody Rudman and Brian Flood discuss how the False Claims Act (FCA)...more
The “rules of the road” for Provider Relief Funds continue to evolve. Recent actions by Congress and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide further clarification in key areas that are helpful to hospices. In...more
The latest COVID Relief and Funding law passed in December 2020 brings dramatic changes to the hospice survey process. While CMS will need to engage in future rulemaking to implement the new framework, Congress created a...more
In this episode, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske is joined by colleagues Jenna Brofsky, Erica Ash and Wakaba Tessier who provide an update on the legal landscape related to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. Their conversation...more
1/13/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospice ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
The Trump Administration has shown an interest in regulatory reform with the goal of reducing the burden on regulated parties such as hospices. This has recently come to the forefront as part of the administration’s efforts...more
September was another busy month as hospices and other providers try to keep pace with the government’s constantly evolving rules and standards around various COVID-19 federal relief programs. In this episode of Hospice...more
COVID-19 has affected all aspects of hospice care, operations and personnel, including the person whose judgment is at the center of the Medicare hospice benefit: the hospice physician. From new regulations addressing...more
COVID-19 threw a wrench into certain hospice audit activity, but the machine rumbles on. In today’s podcast episode, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske, Erin Burns and Bryan Nowicki discuss the current state of hospice audits,...more
Medical reviews to restart-
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) medical review activity suspended due to COVID-19 is set to restart on August 3, 2020, regardless of the public health emergency status....more
Under new guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), hospices and other providers who received CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments can hold off on filing their first quarterly compliance report,...more
After the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) automatically distributed $30 billion to providers as Tranche #1 Relief Fund payments based on 2019 Medicare fee-for-service payment data, HHS subsequently released...more
Many hospices understand the general framework established for use of relief payments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, questions remain about how to evaluate whether specific expenses and losses...more
Consistent with NHPCO’s recent regulatory guidance, you may have received an unexpected payment on or about Friday, April 10th via Optum Bank with “HHSPAYMENT” as the payment description. That payment was from the Public...more
On Friday, April 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began disbursing $30 billion in relief funds directly to Medicare providers, including hospices. The use of those funds, however, is subject to a number of...more
In today’s COVID-19 edition of the Hospice Labor and Employment Trends series, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske talks with colleague Tom O’Day about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As one of Husch...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) confirmed that hospice physicians and nurse practitioners who serve as a patient’s attending physician (“NPs”) can use telehealth to perform medically necessary visits...more
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) goes into effect today, April 1, 2020, and applies to leave taken between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. The FFCRA expands certain medical leave rights previously...more
In today’s episode, Husch Blackwell's Hospice team shares insights on operationalizing recent government guidance for hospices facing coronavirus obstacles. We discuss the role of virtual visits, how to use telehealth and the...more
The Husch Blackwell Hospice Team has been receiving reports from hospices throughout the country that nursing facilities are prohibiting hospice workers from entering the facility to provide essential end-of-life care to...more
These are extraordinary times. COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has disrupted the life of every American and every business. Hospices are no exception. In fact, they are on the frontlines, responsible for providing care to...more