What Hospices Can Learn from Home Health Agencies on New Program Integrity Rules

Hospices seeking to evaluate the prospective ramifications of recent regulatory initiatives can glean valuable lessons from the home health sector. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has instituted measures aimed at bolstering the integrity of hospice programs, and notably, these measures parallel those previously enforced for home health organizations. Historical evidence demonstrates that analogous policies, encompassing medical review protocols and regulations governing business transactions, have effectively elevated compliance standards and mitigated unethical conduct within the home health sector. Bill Dombi, serving as the President of the National Association for Home Health & Hospice (NAHC), lends credence to the positive outcomes resulting from these regulatory alignments. By adopting analogous strategies and drawing from the experiences of the home health sector, hospices can potentially enhance program integrity and ensure the highest quality of care for their patients.