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Hospice Management Advisor Archives – May 1, 2008

May 1, 2008

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  • As more hospices hit Medicare cap, legislation calls for a moratorium

    Legislation introduced by Oklahoma lawmakers U.S. Sen. James Inhofe and U.S. Rep. John Sullivan calls for a three-year moratorium on efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to collect overpayments for hospice patient care.
  • Trends help hospice managers avoid the cap

    Every hospice is different with varying populations to serve, but an analysis of the reasons that 40% of the 99 hospices in Oklahoma served by Palmetto Government Benefit Administrators (GBA), a Medicare fiscal intermediary, hit the hospice cap shows four predominant reasons, says Greg Wood, LBSW, executive director of the Hospice of North Central Oklahoma in Ponca City and president of the Oklahoma Hospice Association:
  • Don't put up roadblocks when callers want info

    "I just have a few questions." "I'm calling to get some information." "I don't need an appointment now. I'm just making a call for a family member."
  • Prepare to reduce risk, consequences of RAC audit

    With more than $370 million in overpayments identified in fiscal year 2007 by auditors in the Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) demonstration project, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined the project a success and is making plans to expand the program beyond the three states in the demonstration project.
  • Full implementation of RAC program in 2010

    The Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) demonstration program began in March 2005 ran until March 2008. The RAC program will be a permanent program and expanded nationwide by no later than Jan. 1, 2010.
  • Nurses learn to 'speak the language of ethics'

    Some of the language of ethics doesn't come naturally to nurses, according to a nurse-ethicist. But an initiative by Indianapolis-based Clarian Health aims to make ethics training and discussion second nature to the 5,000 nurses working there.
  • Drug delivery system targets liver cancer

    For years, researchers have been working to develop systems to avert the systemic toxicities that chemotherapy produces when treating cancer patients. Limiting dosages means more patients are lost to disease.
  • Erythropoietin and cancer death rates

    Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) may increase the risk of death in cancer patients according to a new meta-analysis, which also suggests that the drugs are associated with a significant risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).
  • Free help for patients to track medications

    If your patients are having difficulty remembering which prescriptions to take and when to take them, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) now has an easy solution: a free online "pill card."
  • Signature requirements clarified by CMS

    A recent change to signature requirements by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies what is acceptable for physicians' orders.
  • NHPCO wins $250,000 grant to educate hospice workers

    The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has received a grant of $250,000 from a court-approved fund benefiting nonprofit organizations in health care, the arts, education, and underserved populations, from Fujitsu Computer Products of America in Sunnyvale, CA.