Compliance Monitor (02/18/2025)

Your source for federal updates 

February 2025 Compliance Activity 

Effective February 1, 2025	Revised Home Health Change of Care Notice Form  CMS improved the Home Health Change of Care Notice (HHCCN) form’s readability and design. Starting February 1, 2025, you must use the revised form to notify Medicare Fee-for-Service patients getting home health care benefits of the plan of care changes.  The revised HHCCN is now available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, in addition to English and Spanish. Home Health Change of Care Notice (HHCCN)
February 2025 Refresh	Medicare Care Compare Refresh Hospice quality scores are publicly reported on the Care Compare website and updated every quarter.  CAHPS star ratings are updated in this quarterly refresh Medicare Care Compare https://www.medicare.gov/care- compare/
The completed form must be posted for three months, from February 1 until April 30  The completed form must be submitted to OSHA by early March	OSHA Form 300-A form Form 300-A is the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and illnesses At the end of each calendar year, Form 300- A must be completed and certified by a company executive as correct and complete and posted in the workplace annually, where notices to workers are usually posted. Establishments under Federal OSHA jurisdiction can use the ITA Coverage Application to determine if they are required to electronically report their injury and illness information to OSHA. Establishments under State Plan jurisdiction should contact  their State Plan. https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/tr ade/01092023 Form 300-A https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/forms
March 1, 2025, if any breaches in 2024	HIPAA Breach Reporting HIPAA-covered entities and their business associates are required annually to notify the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI) that affect under 500 individuals. Report breaches of unsecured protected health information that affect fewer than 500 individuals utilizing the web portal in the link.  Submitting a notice of breach to the HHS secretary https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for- professionals/breach- notification/breach- reporting/index.html

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CDC Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel 

Overall respiratory illness activity in the United States 

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/data/index.html

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Top Items 

CMS Stops Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) 

CMS posted the following message on the SFP website on 2/14/2025: Effective February 14, 2025, implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program for CY 2025 has ceased so that CMS may further evaluate the program. Please contact QSOG_Hospice@cms.hhs.gov for policy questions.  CMS is exercising its enforcement discretion to cease implementing the Hospice Special Focus Program (Hospice SFP) for CY 2025 and will further explore options for program implementation and rulemaking. 

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Hospice Provider Updates 

Hospice Preview Reports for the May 2025 Refresh – NOW AVAILABLE IN QIES 

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Home Health Provider Updates 

Home Health Consolidated Billing: CY 2025 HCPCS Code Update  

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All Providers  

Travel Allowance Fees for Specimen Collection – 2025 Updates 

Learn about CY 2025 updates effective January 1, 2025 (PDF): 

• Specimen collection fees and determining eligibility 

• Travel allowance policies and mileage rate 

CMS Announcement on Federal Navigator Program Funding 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a reduction in funding for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Navigator program to $10 million. The savings from this reduction will allow the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) to focus on more effective strategies that improve Exchange outcomes and to reduce the user fee in future years, which would translate into a reduction in premium. This change will directly benefit people enrolled without subsidies who pay the full premium for their health insurance.  

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Education Opportunities 

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