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Report File
Date Issued
Submitting OIG
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Other Participating OIGs
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Agencies Reviewed/Investigated
Department of Health & Human Services
Report Number
A-09-18-03022
Report Description

To participate in Medicare, hospices must meet conditions of participation, which are the health and safety requirements for improving quality of care and protecting the health and safety of beneficiaries. Compliance with each condition of participation depends on how the hospice provider satisfies various standards within the condition. One standard requires registered nurses to visit beneficiaries' homes at least once every 14 days to assess the quality of care and services provided by hospice aides. Since 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has consistently identified this standard as one of the top seven standards with the most deficiencies

Report Type
Audit
Agency Wide
Yes
Number of Recommendations
2
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
Additional Details
https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region9/91803022.asp

Open Recommendations

This report has 2 open recommendations.
Recommendation Number Significant Recommendation Recommended Questioned Costs Recommended Funds for Better Use Additional Details
267804 No $0 $0

We recommend that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: take action to ensure that all registered nurses’ supervisory visits of hospice aides are documented in accordance with applicable CMS regulations and interpretive guidelines.

267803 No $0 $0

We recommend that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: promote hospices’ compliance with the condition-of-participation standard that requires registered nurses to visit hospice beneficiaries’ homes at least once every 14 days to assess the quality of care and services provided by hospice aides, which could include: o working with State survey agencies and accreditation organizations to increase emphasis on oversight of this requirement, o educating hospices about the requirements associated with this standard, and o making this standard a quality measure.

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

United States