Must every hospice participate in the CAHPS hospice survey?
What is the CAHPS hospice survey? The CAHPS hospice survey is administered to eligible caregivers after a patient’s death to measure the quality of care and communication provided by the hospice. A hospice agency must participate in the CAHPS Hospice Survey to be...
Selecting a CAHPS Hospice Survey Vendor
Why should a hospice agency use a CAHPS Hospice Survey vendor? A hospice agency is not permitted to administer its own CAHPS Hospice Surveys. Instead, every hospice agency is required to contract with an approved CAHPS Hospice Survey vendor. The vendor will administer...
Can you deduct pay from a salaried exempt employee?
What is an exempt employee? Exempt workers are paid on a salaried basis. Salaried employees receive a prespecified amount of compensation each pay period. Their salary may not be reduced because of changes in the amount of work performed or because of changes in the...
Wonder about the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938, has four major provisions: regulations for minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping and child labor law. It also introduced standards for exempt and non-exempt employees. As it relates to the FLSA, exempt...
How to Handle Unclaimed Wages
How should an employer handle unclaimed wages? An employer may find that an employee fails to cash a paycheck. Most often, this occurs with the final pay check. These “unclaimed wages” may not be treated as “found money.” When an employee fails to pick up...
Is a worker an employee or an independent contractor?
When should a worker be classified as an employee versus as an independent contractor? What is the difference between these two types of workers? Why is it important for a hospice agency to properly classify the workers who are providing services? Why is it important...
How to recruit and retain hospice volunteers
What is a hospice volunteer? Hospice volunteers are key contributors to a hospice agency. The hospice movement was started with volunteers and there are now more than 460,000 volunteers nationwide. To retain the initial spirit of hospice, Medicare requires...
Calculating the volunteer cost savings match
What are hospice volunteers? The hospice movement was started by volunteers and there are currently more than 460,000 hospice volunteers nationwide. To retain the volunteer-based essence of hospice, one of the Medicare conditions of participation requires that...
What is a hospice’s volunteer requirement?
Volunteers are an essential components of hospice. The hospice movement was started by volunteers. There are currently more than 460,000 hospice volunteers nationwide. Volunteers provide administrative support or direct patient care services. Are hospices required to...
Tips for avoiding hospice election form denials
What is a hospice election statement? A hospice election statement is a condition of payment under Medicare. For a patient to be eligible to receive hospice services under the Medicare benefit, the patient or the patient's authorized representative must elect hospice...