NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2019 - 13

the data from other U.S.
government websites and
hospice related data. The goal
is for the information to help
consumers in comparing
providers.
■ CMS is finalizing the proposal
to post information from other
publicly available U.S.
government sources to publicly
report in the future and as
soon as FY 2020 on Hospice
Compare or another CMS
website.

Reminder - CMS
Announcements Via
Sub-Regulatory
CMS finalized their proposal in
the FY 2019 Hospice Wage Index
final rule to announce any future
intent to publicly report a quality
measure on Hospice Compare or
other CMS website, including
timing, through sub-regulatory
means. They stated that annual
rulemaking cycle is not the only
channel by which information can
be communicated to the public in
a transparent and collaborative
manner. Hospice providers are
encouraged to monitor NHPCO
publications and the CMS
Hospice Quality Reporting
Program webpages for updates.

Q&A: New Requirement for
Addendum to Patients
Goes into effect October 1, 2020
CMS is finalizing a requirement for hospices to include an addendum to
patients, titled "Patient Notification of Hospice Non-Covered Items,
Services, and Drugs."
Effective October 1, 2020 (FY 2021), hospices will be required to issue
the addendum detailing non-covered items, services and drugs when
the patient or representative requests it, either at admission or during
the course of hospice care. The addendum has been implemented based
on CMS reports from beneficiaries and families as well as the Medicare
Ombudsman that patients and their representatives received
information on items, services and drugs that would not be covered and
had questions about why the items were not related. This new signed
addendum will also serve as a new condition for payment.
Answers to the following questions are CMS language from the final
rule. Please note, all references to "we" refer to CMS.

What will the addendum be used for?
A: CMS states that "the addendum is used to communicate items,
services, and drugs that would not be on the initial (or subsequent)
hospice plan of care to ensure coverage transparency [for patients and
their representatives, as well as for non-hospice providers and
suppliers.] The addendum would be used when the hospice has
determined that certain items, services, or drugs would not be covered
(that is, furnished and paid for by the hospice) because they are
unrelated to the terminal illness and related conditions."

What is the effective date for the addendum?
A: We [CMS] will finalize an effective date of FY 2021 (October 1, 2020)
for the election statement modifications and the addendum. This
delayed effective date will allow sufficient time for us to develop a model
election statement addendum to provide the industry as they move
forward making the changes to their own election statements and as
they develop an addendum to communicate those items, services, and
drugs they will not be covering because they have determined them to be
unrelated to the terminal illness and related conditions. This additional
year will allow hospices to make any current process and software
changes to incorporate the addendum into their workflow.

Newsline / Fall 2019

13

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Hospice-Quality-Reporting/Spotlight.html https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Hospice-Quality-Reporting/Spotlight.html

NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2019