Birmingham, Alabama (June 7, 2019)—About a third of providers don't expect the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) to change their therapy utilization, according to a survey conducted by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) recently concluded a survey of the home health industry on the subject; another quarter of respondents to the survey said they expect a decrease of 10% or more.

By Susan Jaffe

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 7, 2019)—At least a quarter of a million Medicare beneficiaries may receive bills for as many as five months of premiums they thought they already paid.

But they shouldn’t toss the letter in the garbage. It’s not a scam or a mistake.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (June 7, 2019)—Seema Verma, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released an update on the administration’s #PatientsOverPaperwork initiative, citing the need for competition in the industry. But some home medical equipment (HME) providers weren't convinced.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida and ATLANTA, Georgia (June 5, 2019)—Technology company Synzi’s virtual care and patient engagement platform won the “Best Patient Relationship Management Solution” category in the 2019 MedTech Breakthrough awards.  

Brightree’s Home Health and Hospice Electronic Medical Record (EMR) was also a winner, in the “Best Overall Health Administration Software” category. 

*Updated June 7, 2019 with link to presentation.

NASHVILLE (June 5, 2019)—Some 130 providers from around the country gathered Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Bid Smart 2019 Summit, sponsored by the VGM Group, AAHomecare, the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC), At Home Services and the Healthcare Nutrition Council. The interactive summit covered the details of Round 2021 and helped providers learn how to approach bidding fully informed.

WATERLOO, Iowa (June 4, 2019)–Patients and caregivers are seeing delays in receiving equipment and supplies, a ripple effect from Medicare policy, and increases in out-of-pocket expenses, according to an informal social media study conducted by People for Quality Care (PFQC), a division of VGM Group.
Respondents to the survey reported having to wait upwards of two weeks for equipment and supplies.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (June 4, 2019)—Curtailing immigration to the United States threatens the availability and quality of care for elderly and disabled Americans, according to a new study published in the current issue of the journal Health Affairs.