New Medicare rule could cost hospice providers more and limit their reach
Source: Journalnow.com
By RICHARD CRAVER
A new Medicare rule requiring a doctor or nurse practitioner to visit patients in person after 180 days of hospice care is likely to raise staffing costs for providers and could limit the reach of assistance in rural areas.
The rule, which goes into effect today, requires a face-to-face visit before a hospice patient can continue to receive care after two 90-day periods. However, Medicare agreed Dec. 23 to postpone enforcing the rule until April 1 to give providers more time to meet its requirements.
The primary functions of the visit are to make sure that the patient still needs end-of-life care and that the care is appropriate for the person’s needs.
The goal of hospice care is to provide comfort to a patient who is close to dying rather than to continue treating the patient to extend his or her life. Some hospice care is provided in facilities, and some involves visits to patients’ homes. Care is provided by medical professionals and lay volunteers.
Local and state officials said the rule would affect about 9 percent of North Carolinians who receive hospice care.
Where the cost comes into play is that Medicare will not allow a provider to bill for the doctor or nurse practitioner visit. It’s considered an administrative requirement, so the bill must come out of Medicare’s per diem rate of about $130 a day.
“It’s going to stretch all of us, no question about it, more so with the smaller hospices,” said JoAnn Davis, the president and chief executive of Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, which is based in Winston-Salem and serves 13 counties.
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For more, visit http://www.hospicecarecenter.org!
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