• HOSPICE: MedPAC Advances Hospice Cap Reforms, FY2021 Payment Recommendations and Initial Findings on Impact of Post-Acute Transfer Policy on Hospice
• HOSPICE: Average Hospice Length of Stay on the Rise, Hospice News, December 4, 2019
• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: New Standards for Handling Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings, NAHC Report, December 5, 2019
• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: MBI Transition Ends This Month: Will You Be Paid On January 1?, Palmetto GBA
• HOME HEALTH: HHAs: Avoid Payment Delays, Register for iQIES by December 23 Act now!
• HOME HEALTH: Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update for Calendar Year (CY) 2020, Palmetto GBA
• HOME HEALTH: Home Health Quality Reporting Program Updates, NAHC Report, December 5, 2019

OCHCH Members: Thank you very much for participating in OCHCH’s December 6th RCD WEEKLY CALL!

OCHCH recently launched an awareness campaign to provide your agency with the assistance, information, resources, and training you need to tackle the challenges of RCD and PDGM. This campaign is called OPERATION: tackle.

As part of OPERATION: tackle we are hosting weekly conference calls on RCD that started on October 25th and will continue for the foreseeable future. These conference calls will provide an opportunity for us to share the latest developments of RCD, for you to share your challenges, and for our members to share best practices in a real time environment.

Next OCHCH Weekly RCD Conference Call – Friday, DECEMBER 13, 2019 at 10am!

OPERATION: tackle PDGM 

The OCHCH campaign to support your agency’s PDGM needs is up and running!

The first OCHCH Weekly PDGM Conference Call is(was) TODAY – Tuesday, DECEMBER 10, 2019 at 3pm!

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!! Please mark your calendars for EVERY TUESDAY @ 3pm. The calls will last no more than an hour.

Helpdesk Question of the Week –

HOSPICE: Volunteer Hours

Question: I have a question about volunteer hours and what can be counted.  Specifically our organization has a funnel cake stand that we take to area festivals as an advertising and marketing devise.  100% of all profits from the sale of the funnel cakes goes toward our hospice, we are not for profit.  Since we are making these for the public not our patients can these hours be captured toward our 5% total care hours as an administrative function?

Answer: No you could not count the hours toward your 5%.  I have copied the list below from the NHPCO Volunteer Hours Questions and Answers.

What activities don’t count towards the 5% cost savings calculation?

Hospices may use volunteers in non-administrative and non-direct patient care activities, but CMS has stated that they are not eligible for inclusion in the 5% calculation. Some of these activities include:

• Craft projects
• Quilting/ sewing/knitting
• Cooking and baking
• Group singing for general patient population
• Orientation, in-service education
• Interdisciplinary team meetings
• Board participation and board meetings
• Community events (i.e.: health fairs)
• Marketing activities

• HOSPICE: Update on Hospice CAHPS, NHPCO Newsbriefs, December 5, 2019
• HOSPICE: Stay on Target with the Hospice Comprehensive Assessment Measure – One Pager Now Available
• HOSPICE: Update on Preventing and Responding to Ransomware, NHPCO Newsbriefs
• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: Active Medical Reviews, Palmetto GBA
• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: Home Health and Hospice (HH&H) Medicare Quarterly Updates, Changes and Reminders Webcast Will Be Held on December 19 at 2 p.m. , Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Hospice and Home Health Claims Processing Issues Log, Palmetto GBA

• PALLIATIVE CARE: United States Ranks High in Palliative Care Access, Hospice News, December 9, 2019
• PALLIATIVE CARE and HOSPICE: Hospice by the Bay CFO: Palliative Care Growth in Time Will Outstrip Hospice, Hospice News, December, 9, 2019
• HOSPICE: Suncoast Hospice Expands Healing Oasis Program, Hospice News, December 9, 2019
• HOSPICE: Four Seasons Launches Hospice Telehealth Pharmacy Program, Hospice News, December 9, 2019