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The blueprint identifies the major content areas relevant to the responsibilities of the hospice administrator. The percentages

of questions on the exam from each of the major content areas are indicated below.

a. Leadership- understand administrative and regulative requirements of hospice agency operations (e.g., contracting, staffing, education)

b. Vision and Mission Statement Development

c. Strategic Planning- covers importance of detailed strategic planning and marketing analysis in the operations of successful hospice agency

d. Marketing- examines critical elements of marketing analysis (e.g., best practices, market survey, strategy, market share)

e. Organizational Structure and Change- outline parameters of hospice services with in health care (e.g., contracting, regulation, authorizations, DEA, CoPs)

f. Utilization and Risk Management- understanding quality assurance/process improvement (e.g., utilization review, quality care measurement, level of care)

g. Quality Outcomes-understanding key metrics in hospice operations (e.g.,volunteer house, length of stay-median/average) and (e.g., benchmarking, financial, clinical, satisfaction)

h. Human Resources- examines employee relations/retention and contracting (e.g., recruitment and retention, core services vs. contract services)

i. Trends and changes in industry- covers impact of revised CoPs, F2F, signature review, and ACA

a. Accounting Reports (e.g., income statements, balance sheet, depreciation, ROI, reimburse categories)

b. Budgeting (e.g., reimbursement, billing, assumptions, operations)

c. Reimbursement (e.g., levels of care, claims form disciplines/services)

d. Cost Reports- details of cost reporting (e.g., timing, eligible changes, filing requirements, deadlines)

e. Cap Monitoring- understanding hospice cap and how it is calculated

f. General Administrative Expenses- understanding what physician services are included in per diem reimbursement

g. Variable Expenses- understanding expense/cost accounting related to hospice operations (e.g., fix u. variable, direct patient expense included in hospice benefit, taxable and non-taxable employee income)

h. Wages, Salaries and Benefits- understanding hospices employee compensation (e.g., state and federal laws regulations, benefit requirements)

i. Contract Negotiations and Management- outlines medicine, other government programs and private pay hospice contracting and management (e.g., CoP guidelines for hospice contracts, patient election of hospice services)

a. Marketing Strategies- explore ethical business development strategies in hospice

b. Sales Training- covers parameters of hospice sales training (i.e., sales representative, anti-kickback restrictions, ethics)

c. Market Analysis- examines goals importance and essential components of market analysis

a. Regulation Diligence (e.g., licensure, compliance and patient representation)

b. Survey Preparedness and Management (e.g., critical elements of the survey process and guidelines)

c. Quality Management and Outcome Programs (e.g. components of QAPI standards and compliance plans)

d. Risk Management (e.g., responsibilities and requirements of hospice agency risk management procedures), Contracts – general and specific

e. Promotions (e.g., do’s and don’ts of promotions and incentives for referrals)

f. Corporate Compliance- critical components of hospice agency compliance (e.g. certification/re-certification of terminal illness, HIPPA, ABN) and Compliance Audits (e.g. RAC’s, ZPIC, Etc.)

i. Clinical (e.g., core services)

ii. Financial

iii. Legal integrity

iv. Regulations

v. Nursing Homes

1. Contracts

2. Regulations

3. Management of Hospice/Nursing Home roles