The final Medicare Hospice Conditions of Participation (CoPs) are expected to be published next fall. The CoPs have not been changed since 1983 and comments on the proposed changes have run the gamut.
CMS says that the new hospice CoPs "will provide more attention to meeting the specific needs of individual patients," adding that the conditions also "would ease the regulatory burden for hospice providers and improve the quality of care for all hospice patients."
To avoid problems when the final CoPs are put into effect, it is important for all hospices to begin making changes now.
hospice letter and the officials from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reviewed the proposed Hospice CoPs, discussed the public comments received so far, and recommended ways to help get your organization ready for the COP changes in this special 90-minute audio conference that occurred on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 1:30 PM Eastern time.
Agenda:
- The added patient assessment requirement
- The new minimum health and safety quality standards
- The quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) CoP
- How hospices are able to contract for core services
- Providing hospice to long-term care residents
- Review of public comments received so far
- The expected final rule timing
- Question and answer session
Who Benefited From This Audio Conference?
Hospices, home health agencies, hospitals and palliative care providers, health systems, healthcare providers, hospice administrators, president/CEO, reimbursement manager, chief financial officer, executive director, home care director, director of development, nursing administrator, executive vice president, clinical services director, program director, hospice director, VP business development, director of patient care, director of social services, assistant administrator and coordinator.
About hospice letter
An essential tool for hospice managers, hospice letter stays on top of the most current challenges facing hospice executives, including legislative scrutiny, the short average length of stay, Medicare and Medicaid reform, discussions about physician-assisted suicide, managed care and integration.
Each month, subscribers get the latest management intelligence regarding financing strategies, marketing success stories, solutions to staffing and management challenges, funding opportunities and legislative alerts, and updates about federal agencies, such as the Office of Inspector General and CMS.