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| September 14, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 News Update
 For those passionate about hospice care, Saturday night was simply magical and filled with emotion. A few hundred strong supporters of the Connecticut Hospice in Branford gathered to celebrate their 50 years of extraordinary hospice care.
The history and stories shared left the audience awe-inspired. Barbara Pearce, CEO at the Connecticut Hospice, kicked off the evening welcoming all while recanting how it all started with Florence Wald, founder of the hospice movement in the United States. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal offered congratulations and unanimous support from Congress. Connecticut legislators (Rep Robin Comey and Senator Christine Cohen) presented Barbara Pearce and the Connecticut Hospice with a proclamation recognizing their 50 years of hospice excellence. Lastly and most powerfully, Florence Wald’s daughter and son shared precious memories of the passion and drive their mother had for establishing and growing the hospice movement first in Connecticut and then throughout the U.S.
Also in attendance were several of the first hospice providers, including the first hospice nurse in the U.S., Mary Kaye Smith. President/CEO of the Association, Tracy Wodatch had the honor of speaking with Ms. Smith who told her that she was recruited by the famed psychiatrist and author, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.
Cheers to 50 years…A magical night indeed!
Of note, Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home was among 39 of the state associations across the country who signed onto this letter in support.
In comments filed in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s (CMS) 2024 proposed home health rule, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice told CMS that the proposed payment rate cut of 5.653 percent will significantly reduce access to essential home health services throughout the country and set the stage for further annual rate cuts that will dismantle the benefit.
Source: National Association for Home Care (NAHC)
On Aug. 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposal to Define and Delimit the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees that would restore and extend overtime protections to many salaried workers. The proposal is currently available to the public on the DoL website and will be followed by the publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register.
The proposed rule is geared towards updating and revising regulations concerning the exemption of certain salaried employees from minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Source: National Association for Home Care (NAHC)
Key updates for home health & hospice
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held a Home Health, Hospice, and DME Open Door Forum on Auguust 30, 2023. The summary of the Forum applicable to home health and hospice providers is below.
Hospice data on Care Compare was refreshed Aug. 30, 2023. The refresh includes:
Hospice Item Set measures for discharges from October 2021 to September 2022.
Hospice CAHPS measure scores and star ratings for October 2020 to September 2022. Claims-based measures for claims from April through December 2019 and July 2020 through September 2021 (unchanged). Preview data is available for the November refresh in QIES. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, it includes updated claims-based data with two full years of claims, for 2021 and 2022. See Hospice QRP announcements here.
Source: DecisionHealth Staff
Healthcare is shifting and is more patient driven than ever before. Join the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home as we partner on this critical initiative.
For home health agencies, the move toward Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) means that 30% of an agency’s success is defined by patient satisfaction scores. This trend is being closely followed by hospice organizations as family satisfaction scores begin to receive greater scoring in overall quality. BerryDunn, lead researcher of the National Healthcare at Home Best Practices and Future Insights Study, is launching a new research study to help agencies improve their CAHPS Star Ratings through implementation of research-based initiatives. Improved interoperability around patient data. Policy action around immigration to bolster the home-based care workforce in the near term. The continued evolution of hospital-at-home programs.
These are just a few of the many topics that National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President William A. Dombi is focusing on while advocating on behalf of home health, home care and hospice organizations in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S.
In This Future in Focus interview, Home Health Care News sits down with Dombi to discuss that advocacy and where home-based care is headed in the not-so-distant future. In addition to the previously mentioned topics, Dombi offers his views on the discrepancies between fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage, plus the rulemaking going on within the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Source: Patrick Filbin
Membership News
Welcome the Association's newest member, Home Health Professionals Network! Their office is out of Hamden, and you can connect with them at (203) 745-2545!
We will be making five stops around the state to meet you in your neighborhood. Catch up on the latest industry news, check in on your member benefits and ask questions you may have on current regulations and compliance issues. RSVP on our community calendar!
This Lunch & Learn will take place on Oct. 12 from 12:00-12:30 p.m.
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed “Secure 2.0” into law. Home care, both for proprietary and non-profit, will have BRAND NEW opportunities and requirements to overhaul retirement plans for caregivers, professional, administrative and executive staff.
The National Retirement Planning practice of Risk Strategies is proud to present this fast-moving and informative workshop.
Risk Strategies is the 10th largest private held employee benefit and insurance consultant in America with a specialization in Home Care and Health Care.
This year you will hear from National, Regional and Local experts! With four keynote sessions and three breakout offerings, a variety of partners exhibiting, and opportunities to catch up with colleagues, it's an opportunity you don't want to miss!
View the attendee brochure.
Education
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