DOGE

$11.4 billion in grants rescinded

CDC-DOGE cancel Covid-19 grants to states, cities, and organizations.

Fierce Healthcare sifted through grant cuts, keeping track of all terminations totaling $10 million or more. These showed $7.5 billion in cancelled grants going to states and major cities. No information is provided on the doge.com postings besides a description that says “No description available.”

A message, obtained by Fierce Healthcare, went out to HHS employees the morning of March 26, telling them to urgently identify contracts that may lead to censorship or cause someone to hold value certain ideas more than others. Examples given included COVID-19 vaccine usage, masking and education and outreach advertisements.

It also said contracts or grants aimed at fighting misinformation or disinformation should be pinpointed, telling workers to scan for keywords including lockdown, media literacy, social media and more. The contents of this message were first reported by STAT News.

Excelas can objectively review your records/documents—no matter how big or small—to assess the criteria you specify. We can provide a brief summary of our findings, or simply pull out data points for your review.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restructuring plans announced Thursday could impact several departments serving the nursing home sector, leaving operators on edge.

The move to cut HHS field offices to half the current number may hinder how CMS runs surveys, certifications, and enforcement activities, LeadingAge officials said. After all, CMS offices are responsible for overseeing the nursing home survey process, ensuring provider compliance, and addressing disputed citations.

“Cutting the staff responsible for carrying out agency and department activities raises obvious questions,” Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, said in an emailed statement. “We are closely monitoring the execution of [Thursday’s] announcement. We urge HHS to ensure that older adults and the providers who serve them will not be an afterthought in this reorganization.”

“We care for the vulnerable adults, the seniors, and unlike other sectors that they’re changing, there’s no room for error here.”

AHCA/NCAL

Access to nursing home care is worsening

The federal staffing mandate would deepen crisis and displace nearly 300,000 residents. The 2024 Access to Care report highlights the intense economic and government pressures providers have faced since the pandemic, resulting in fewer care options and delays in care for our nation’s most vulnerable.

Specifically, the report looks at the cumulative effect of continued nationwide labor shortages, record inflation and increasing operational costs, and chronic government underfunding. These recent challenges have severely impacted seniors’ ability to access skilled care as nursing homes are forced to limit admissions, downsize, or close altogether:

“It’s not hyperbole to say access to care is a national crisis. Nursing homes are closing at a rate much faster than they are opening, and yet with each passing day, our nation grows older. Providers are doing everything they can to protect and expand access to care, but without support from policymakers, access to care remains under threat,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL.

DIGITAL HEALTH

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) audits on the rise

The amount of auditing of RPM companies has increased in the last two years, two lawyers told Fierce Healthcare, and the audits have gotten more aggressive and informed. The audits have ranged from mundane billing denials by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to criminal investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

But some RPM companies have become frustrated with audits in which the auditors are not informed about the billing practices and are incorrectly identifying issues.

“It’s just so complicated. There’s always some error rate of mistakes. So, not surprisingly, things come up in those audits. Sometimes it’s not worrisome. Sometimes it’s, ‘What the heck has been going on?'” said Thomas Ferrante, partner at Foley & Lardner.

Beyond legitimate issues, auditors have thrown red flags without having all of the recorded medical data for the claim. Third-party vendors often keep separate files from healthcare providers, and there have been many cases where the auditor is missing information.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

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