CMS to hold webinar on hospice quality reporting

CMS is hosting a webinar 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST Aug. 30 to provide an introduction to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program.

Report shows Medicaid managed care on the rise, unclear if it improves outcomes

While Medicaid managed care has seen a significant increase, it remains unclear whether or not the competition between managed care organizations actually reduces spending and improves incomes, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

CMS makes several Medicaid announcements, including new audits and requirement for budget neutral demos

In a statement made my CMS administrator Seema Verma dated August 21, 2018, it was announced that CMS will begin auditing some states’ managed care organization financial reporting based on the amount spent on clinical services and quality improvement versus administration and profit. Verma’s statement was made before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in order to explain CMS’ efforts to improve the integrity of the Medicaid program following the GAO’s June 2018 findings and recommendations for addressing growth in overall Medicaid spending.

Tip: Fostering family learning and engagement

When staff are asked what their organization can do to make them more successful in their roles, one of the most common answers is, “Educate the families.” During the hundreds of trainings for direct care teams (DCT) that I’ve lead, I’ve nearly always encountered at least one staff member who exclaims, “You have to share this information with the families—they do this stuff wrong all the time.”