Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
CMS has released an updated operational guide and frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the home health Review Choice Demonstration. The FAQs were updated Jan. 6 and include new questions related to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) which took effect Jan. 1. In one of these FAQs, CMS explains that agencies should not use the same Unique […]
CMS has released requirements documents for fiscal year 2021. The requirements have been updated to reflect changes in the FY2020 final rule. Updates have been made to the following: Getting Started with the Hospice Quality Reporting Program Hospice Quality Reporting Program: Requirements for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and Future FY Reporting Years Hospice Quality Reporting […]
Changes to emergency preparedness requirements are now in effect, and several of those changes apply to both home health and hospice. A final rule designed to reduce burden took effect Nov. 29, 2019, and includes the following changes to emergency preparedness requirements: Removed a requirement to document efforts to contact local, tribal, regional, state and […]
CMS released a fact sheet entitled Provider Compliance Tips for Home Health Services (Part A Non-DRG). This is meant for physicians who refer beneficiaries to home health, order home health services, and/or certify beneficiaries’ eligibility for the Medicare home health benefit; home health agencies; and non-physician practitioners (NPPs), according to the fact sheet. Physician certification/recertification […]
When it comes to workplace injuries, many states provide specific guidance for reporting injuries by both employees and employers. As an employer, you must remember that to properly manage a workers’ compensation claim, you should report the injury as soon as your employee notifies you that it occurred and immediately start your investigation, especially if […]
Don’t fall victim to classic Facebook pitfalls when putting the social media platform to use for your business. Common missteps include posting material that does not link back to the agency website and not using Facebook to drive people to get to know the business better, says Amy Selle, co-managing director of Corecubed, Aging Care […]
An extensive manual change concerning enrollment deactivations suggests that CMS is trying to make it easier for providers to avoid the hassle of accidental removal from Medicare — but you still have to know and follow the rules. Currently, Chapter 15 of the Medicare Program Integrity Manual, which covers enrollment, has simple templates for letters […]
Come April, coders will have a diagnosis code to capture vaping-related disorders. The code, U07.0 (Vaping-related disorder), was established as a new International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) emergency code last year by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to an announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted Dec. 9, […]
Data on Medicare Advantage (MA) plans usage of specific supplemental benefits including home care may be available from CMS come early 2020, according to the Better Medicare Alliance (BMA). BMA, who represents MA plans, stated that only 16 plans offered home care as a supplemental benefit to it’s members. Here are a few statistics about […]
For the first time since the early 20th century, research shows the home has surpassed the hospital as the most common place of death in the United States, according to a letter published in The New England Journal of Medicine. This finding was determined through data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and […]