Home Health Care News is a periodical that provides consumers with the latest news and information about home health care services. Home Health Care News features information on Home Health Care Systems, home health maintenance organizations (HHCAs), certified home care consultants, home health service industries, home health care insurance companies, home health care products and services, nursing informatics, and much more. Home Health Care News is published by the American Home Health Care Association, Inc. (AHHCA). Home Health Care News is available on the internet through the Home Health Care News website.
Currently, three home health care systems have been approved by CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Certified Homecare Consulting (CCHC); Assisted Living Companies (ALCs); and In Home Health Care (IHC) are working toward establishing a new way to pay providers for home health care services. Home Health Care News will feature these companies as they make progress toward implementation. Home Health Care News will feature: Certified Homecare Consulting, Inc. (CCCF); Assisted Living Companies, Inc. (ALCs); and In Home Health Care, Inc. (IHC). Each company is working toward a system that will replace current reimbursement processes with a pay for performance model.
According to Home Health Care News, the CCCF has developed a “newly designed” CFS that incorporates clinical guidelines from the American College of Nursing (ACN) along with the revised Medigap Payment Modification (MPM) guidelines. The Home Health Care News report states, “The CCCF says it hopes the new CFS will help home healthcare providers accept more Medicare beneficiaries and expand patient access to care.” The new CCCF program allows home health providers to choose whether they will participate in the CFS or the Medicare Part B Select Medicare Advantage. The companies are working toward finalizing this new payment structure by the end of 2021.
According to Home Health Care News, the ALCs are currently working on a “next generation” mobile application that will allow seniors to register for home health benefit programs through their personal devices. The Home Health Care News report notes that the new application “will enable seniors to log in from anywhere using any internet enabled device and log in using their personal devices as well.” The application will also require users to provide “some basic personal information such as their name and date of birth” to gain access to their benefits. Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for these programs at any time throughout their senior years.
The CCCF is the lead agency for the Medicare program. It provides information about changes to the program such as enrollment guidelines and enrollment numbers. The CCCF has been criticized in the past for not releasing information that helps consumers navigate the system. According to the Home Health Care News, it is “working closely” with Medicare to implement the changes and increase participation from home health care agencies.