More Inspections of Medicare Hospice Programs Demanded by New House Bill
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization backs bi-partisan bill
Aug. 5, 2014 – Just before the House of Representatives slammed the door shut to go on their August recess, a bi-partisan bill was introduced that will require “more timely” surveys of Medicare-certified hospice care programs, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
The legislation - the Hospice Opportunities for Supporting Patients with Integrity and Care Evaluations (HOSPICE) Act, HR 5393 - was introduced on August 1 by Congressmen Tom Reed (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA).
The NHPCO says in a news release that it “enthusiastically supports this new legislation.”
The HOSPICE Act would require that hospices be surveyed no less frequently than every three years and authorizes funding for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to contract for the additional oversight.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) examined hospice survey frequency in 2007 and 2013 and found that the existing intervals and resources were inadequate. The mandatory survey frequency in HR 5393 is consistent with the OIG recommendations.
Full article can be found at: SeniorJournal.com - Senior News & Information on Web Daily
Greg Schneider
HVA Founder, President
HCF Creator
Replies
That's a great move, and it's about time!