NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 7
Important Implications For Providers
The FY2021 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update Final Rule was published in the Federal Register
on August 4 (after being posted on the public inspection page on July 31). NHPCO issued a Regulatory Alert
with analysis for members on August 3. Below, we offer some key provisions as well as an interview with
NHPCO's Judi Lund Person on the changes to the Election Statement and the new Addendum that will be
required on October 1, 2020.
Key elements of the final rule include:
* Rate increase of 2.4% for FY 2021, effective October 1, 2020. Note, that this is slightly lower than the rate
increase of 2.6% in the proposed rule.
* Adjustments in CBSA designations, following the guidance published by OMB in 2018. This may result in
higher or lower wage index values, based on the new designation.
* Counties with a decrease in the wage index values will have a maximum of 5% reduction for FY 2021 but
will see the full reduction in FY 2022.
* There will be NO delay in the implementation of the changes to the election statement and addition of the
election statement addendum. See the Q&A with Judi Lund Person beginning on page 10.
FY 2021 Medicare National Rates for FY2021
Table 1: FY 2021 Hospice Payment Rates WITH Quality Reporting
FY 2020
Payment Rates
SIA Budget
Neutrality Factor
Wage Index
Standardization
Factor
FY 2021 Hospice
Payment Update
FY 2021
Payment Rates
Routine Home
Care (Days 1-60)
$194.50
1.0002
1.0002
X 1.024
$199.25
651
Routine Home
Care (Days 61 +)
$153.72
1.0001
1.0004
X 1.024
$157.49
652
Continuous Home $1,395.63 ($58.15/
Care (Full rate =
hourly rate)
24 hours of care)
1.0023
X 1.024
$1,432.41 ($59.68/
hourly rate)
655
Inpatient
Respite Care
$450.10
1.0004
X 1.024
$461.09
656
General
Inpatient Care
$1,021.25
0.9999
X 1.024
$1,045.66
Code
Description
651
Source: Table 5 and 6, FY 2021 Hospice Wage Index Final Rule, page 35 of Public Inspection copy of the final rule.
The market-basket update for hospices will be reduced by 2.0 percentage points for hospices who do not
comply with the quality data submission requirements with respect to that fiscal year. For FY 2021, the
payment update rates will be 2.4 percent minus the 2.0 percentage points, making the update 0.4 percent, as
shown below.
Newsline / Fall 2020
7
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/04/2020-16991/medicare-program-fy-2021-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update
https://www.nhpco.org/regulatory-and-quality/regulatory/billing-reimbursement/reimbursement-medicare-2
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16991.pdf
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020
AXXESS Hospice (display ad)
Table of Contents
Virtual Interdisciplinary Conference (display ad)
Edo's Message
FY2021 Hospice Wage Index (feature article)
Virtual Conference Thank You (display ad 1/2 page)
Q&A on Election Statement
Quality Care in the time of COVID-19
Quality Connections
NHPCO Releases Facts & Figures Report
Seeing the World
NHPCO Career Center (display ad 1/2 page)
Weatherbee Resources (display ad 1/2 page)
NHF Gala Sponsor Thanks
Virtual Gala Recap
Highlight Value of Pediatric Care
State Pediatric Survey - Data Collection
We Honor Veterans Spotlight
New Courses Ondemand
New Podcast
Lighthouse of Hope (display ad 1/2 page)
Diversity Advisory Council Paper
AXXESS Hospice (display ad #2)
back cover
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - intro
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 1
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - AXXESS Hospice (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Table of Contents
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Virtual Interdisciplinary Conference (display ad)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Edo's Message
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - FY2021 Hospice Wage Index (feature article)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 7
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 8
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Virtual Conference Thank You (display ad 1/2 page)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Q&A on Election Statement
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 11
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 12
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 13
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 14
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 15
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Quality Care in the time of COVID-19
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 17
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 18
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 19
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Quality Connections
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 21
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - NHPCO Releases Facts & Figures Report
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 23
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 24
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 25
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Seeing the World
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 27
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 28
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - 29
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Weatherbee Resources (display ad 1/2 page)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - NHF Gala Sponsor Thanks
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Virtual Gala Recap
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Highlight Value of Pediatric Care
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - State Pediatric Survey - Data Collection
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - We Honor Veterans Spotlight
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - New Courses Ondemand
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Lighthouse of Hope (display ad 1/2 page)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - Diversity Advisory Council Paper
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - AXXESS Hospice (display ad #2)
NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2020 - back cover
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