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Home and Community-Based Services Policy Forum. Peter Notarstefano, Director of Home and Community-Based Services March 18, 2014. FEDERAL UPDATE. Federal budget FY2014 and 2015 House and Senate. $20 billion decrease from FY13 post-sequester levels
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Home and Community-Based Services Policy Forum Peter Notarstefano, Director of Home and Community-Based Services March 18, 2014
Federal budget FY2014 and 2015House and Senate • $20 billion decrease from FY13 post-sequester levels • Increases funding Aging & Disability Resource Centers, Congregate and Homebound meals, Community Development Block Grants • Level funding Social Service Block Grants • New authority and $14 million in funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service
President’s FY 2015 budget 2015 • Introduce home health co-payments for new beneficiaries • Social Services Block grants are budgeted at $1.8 billion, which is the pre-sequester funding • Improve and extend Money Follows the Person through 2020 • Older Americans Act Supportive Services, Meal Programs, National Family Caregiver program- same as 2014 • Aging & Disability Resource Centers $5 million increase
Sequestration: the Congressional Piggy bank • Debt Ceiling bill- To offset the cost of restoring middle-aged military retirees’ full pension COLA- extension of the 2% Medicare sequestration on all health care providers for another year, through 2024
In the Senate Sustainable Growth Rate bill: • Remote Monitoring pilots for home health • Increase operational flexibility for P.A.C.E. • A number of offsets being discussed House bill did not include these amendments • March 31st, 2014 Deadline
OAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 S1562 Bipartisan Senate bill • OAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 HR3850 Bipartisan House bill • OAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 HR 4122 Democrat House bill • transportation services • elder abuse prevention • supplemental foods as an option in meal programs • “hold harmless”/ formula Poss. Amendment
HCBS Characteristics rule • Providers on the grounds of, or immediately adjacent to SNFs, Institutions for MH , ICFs for individuals with intellectual disabilities and Hospitals must fit the HCBS criteria to receive Medicaid waiver funding. What is the HCBS criteria? • States -1 year to develop transition plan • States- 5 years to be in full compliance • Residential and non-residential regs. • Separate 1115 waiver regs
Changes in Diagnosis Home Health • 170 ICD-9 codes removed for being too acute or no impact on home health services • Grouper refined for ICD 10 implementation on 10/1/14 • 13,000 codes to 70,000 codes
HH- Rebasing • Rule proposes a 3.5% rebasing cut for each of the next four years (FY14, 15, 16, and 17) • 4-year phase-in and 3.5% annual cap on payment changes Fails to account for the costs on new regulatory obligations of HHAs
Quality Measure Changes • Adds two new HH quality measures based on CMS claims data rather than agency reported OASIS data- Hospitalizations & ER • Home Health Compare for public reporting in 2015 • Remove 9 OASIS-based measures from CASPER reports that it believes are redundant
Second round HH Temporary Moratoria • Regional, temporary moratoria on enrollment of new fee-for-services Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP providers and suppliers • Includes Ft. Lauderdale, Detroit, Dallas, Houston • Extends round one moratoria of HH agencies in Chicago and Miami • Based on OIG & DOJ findings- fraud risk & high utilization
Home Health • Policies and procedures • Plans for each patient in Pt. assessment • Inform state and local Emergency preparedness officials of HH patients needing evacuation • Inform new patients of the role of HHA in an emergency
Home Health Medicare Eligibility, Billing, Medical Reviews and Appeals • Face to Face Documentation • Additional Documentation Request • Administrative Law Judge Hearings • Recovery Audits
Medicare Improvement Standard • Determine if skilled services of a health care professional are needed, not whether the Medicare beneficiary will improve • Increase access -certain chronic conditions • Medicare maintenance standard • Medicare Policy Manuals have been revised
HH Legislation Fostering Independence Through Technology
Clarifying Diagnosis Coding in Hospice Claims • Certain non-specific diagnosis or diagnosis that, under coding guidelines, are not principal diagnosis • Adult Failure To Thrive and Debility can no longer be used as primary hospice diagnosis, but CMS will delay returning claims to providers until October 1, 2014
Hospice Item Set • Complete the HIS at admission and discharge on all patients admitted to hospice starting July 1, 2014 • 7 National Quality Forum-endorsed (NQF) Measures
Hospice staff- GIP Care • Additional reporting requirements: Claims hospice patients in skilled nursing facilities or in hospitals • Visit and visit length for hospice nurses, aides, SW, PT, OT and Speech Language Pathologists
Hospice • Hospice inpatient already has Emergency Preparedness regs. • Community-based-must have written plan that is periodically rehearsed & Policies and Procedures • Inform state and local Emergency preparedness officials of Hospice patients needing evacuation
Part D Payment- Medications Hospice patients • Office of the Inspector General report • Medicare Part D paid for medications that should have been covered by Medicare Part A under the hospice benefit • More oversight from CMS
Fair Labor Standards Act:Domestic Service- Final Rule • Companionship services” defined • Third party employers of direct care workers are not permitted to claim either the exemption for companionship services or the exemption for live-in domestic service employees. • effective January 1, 2015
Adult Day Services - VA • Proposed Rule Allows Veterans Administration Provider Agreements • Applies to Adult Day, Home Health • Veteran Centered care • Reimbursement methodology tied to established payments ( Medicare, Medicaid)
FIDE SNPS- ADS • 40 Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans Managed Care Organizations in 7 states Arizona California Hawaii Massachusetts Minnesota New York Wisconsin • 134,000 beneficiaries enrolled - Medicare and Medicaid • Can contract with Adult Day Services- supplemental benefit
Research Opportunities ADS • 2012 National Study of Long-Term Care Providers by the NCHS 65% response rate • RTI conducting update of Regulatory Review of Adult Day Services
Medicare ADS Act of 2013 • Introduced by Rep. Linda Sanchez • Creates a Medicare Certified Adult Day Center • Paid based on the Home Health Prospective Payment System • Revised legislation from the bill introduced in 2009
Increasing Access To Home and Community-Based Services
Balancing Incentive Program • 17 states participating • 2% enhanced FMAP • Increases Medicaid spending for HCBS
Money Follows the Person • 46 states including the District of Columbia • As of June 2013, a total of 35,050 older adults/ persons with disabilities transitioned to the community since MFP began in January 2008. Challenges: • Lack of Affordable housing • Shortage of Medicaid providers
Community First Choice • 6% enhanced FMAP on personal attendant care • California and Maryland participating • Conflict free case management • Person-centered care
HCBS Spousal Impoverishment Protections • Eligibility for Medicaid for HCBS will be the same as SNF eligibility • For couples, where one spouse needs Medicaid services in the community Starts 1/1/14 ? Ends 12/31/19
Contact Information Peter Notarstefano, Director of HCBS LeadingAge 202 508-9406 pnotarstefano@leadingage.org