FY2024 Final Rule: Discussion and Operationalization of Changes

Outline:

FY2024 Final Rule: Discussion and Operationalization of Changes

FY2024 Final Rule – Updates

FY 2024 Final Rule – Rate Increase

HQRP Program – Non-Participation Payment Reduction

Clarification on Wage Index Values

CMS Comment on the Use of Continuous Home Care (CHC)

CMS Comment on the Use of CHC (cont’d)

Telehealth Services for the F2FE

F2FE Telehealth Reminder

Technology Provision during Public Health Emergency (PHE)

Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) Tool

Future Quality Measure (QM) Development

CAHPS® Hospice Survey Updates

HQRP Reporting Requirements and Annual Payment Updates (APU)

HQRP Compliance (FY2024 and 2025)

2024 Hospice Inpatient and Aggregate CAP

Hospice Certifying Physician Enrollment in Medicare

Ordering Covered Items and Services for Medicare Beneficiaries (§ 424.507)

Certifying Physician and Medicare Enrollment/Exclusion Verification

Certifying Physicians

Certifying Physician Medicare Verification

Search NPI Records

NPI Look-Up Example

NPI Look-Up Example (cont’d)

Physician Medicare Enrollment

CMS 855O – Certification Statement

Certifying Physician and Medicare Enrollment/Exclusion Verification

Carrie Cooley is the Principal of Weatherbee Resources. Carrie joined Weatherbee in 2009 as an Associate Consultant and was hired as the Consulting Coordinator in 2012. In 2014, Carrie was promoted to the Director of the Consulting Division and in July 2015, she assumed the Chief Operating Officer position. Carrie was promoted to CEO in February 2018.

In August 2021, Carrie became the sole owner of Weatherbee Resources having purchased the company with a business partner in 2018 from the company’s founders, Heather Wilson and Joy Barry. Carrie continues the long-standing history of Weatherbee Resources’ service to the hospice community.

In her role as Principal, Carrie ensures Weatherbee’s consulting services, products, and education are provided in a professional and cost-effective manner and are specifically tailored to meet each client’s individual needs. As one of Weatherbee’s owners, Carrie is responsible for ensuring Weatherbee is positioned to assist hospices with the ever-changing regulatory hospice environment.

Carrie’s regulatory expertise and extensive consulting experience includes forensic clinical record auditing, baseline compliance audits/mock surveys, interim management, clinical due diligence, and executive coaching. Carrie and her team also work directly with clients’ legal counsel in preparation for arbitration and other hearings; Carrie frequently serves as an expert witness. Weatherbee also works extensively with clients who are under a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA); Carrie and her team manage the Independent Review Organization (IRO) audit activities required by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Carrie’s excellent rapport with executives and staff alike – coupled with her regulatory and clinical acumen, and knowledge of best practices – assures excellent consulting outcomes.

Under Carrie’s leadership, Weatherbee has assisted hundreds of clients under investigation by various Medicare contractors including: Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE), Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPIC), Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPIC), Benefit Integrity Support Centers (BISC), Recovery Auditors (RA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the OIG.

As a member of Weatherbee’s Speaker’s Bureau, Carrie teaches a broad range of hospice, regulatory, and leadership-related topics nationally and is a member of the faculty for Weatherbee’s renowned Hospice Regulatory Boot Camps. Carrie also frequently speaks at state and national hospice conferences on compliance-related topics.

Carrie is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree from Samford University with a specialty in nursing leadership and healthcare finance.