Hospices: Begin collecting HIS data July 1

All hospices that are certified by the Medicare program must complete and submit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospice Item Set (HIS) admission and discharge records for all patients admitted on or after July 1, reminds CMS in its latest MLN Connects (PDF). Hospices that do not do so will see their annual payment update for fiscal year 2016 reduced by two percentage points.

Hospices can access a guidance manual, training videos and other resources on the HIS website. The HIS Technical website contains the final HIS data specifications and additional technical information.