Online resource packed with regulatory news and expert guidance, tips & tools pertinent to professionals across the post-acute care continuum.
As a follow-up to its May 2020 enforcement guidelines on recording workplace COVID-19 cases, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued additional guidance to employers for reporting coronavirus-related hospitalizations and fatalities. Hospitalizations OSHA reiterated that employers must report inpatient hospitalizations to the agency if they occur within 24 hours of a work-related incident. In […]
Q: Telemedicine may not be the best fit for all patients. How can case managers help facilitate in-person visits for those patients that cannot engage in telemedicine visits? A: If both in-person and telemedicine visits are available, it may be helpful to communicate with the providers to help educate patients on which might be more […]
Health plans will have to start covering COVID-19 vaccines shortly after their approval, regardless of whether they are delivered by an in-network provider, under regulations finalized by three federal agencies.The interim final rule published on November 6 (85 Fed. Reg. 71142) is designed to implement various healthcare and coverage provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has provided new guidance for employers considering requiring COVID-19 vaccinations—guidance that attorneys advising employers say needs to be studied carefully. On December 16, the EEOC added a new section to its guidance on how employer COVID-19 vaccination policies interact with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of […]
Back in the spring when businesses across the country first fell victim to COVID-19, many employers chose to furlough workers temporarily rather than lay them off permanently. But now, with the pandemic dragging on, some furloughs are extending much longer than originally expected, triggering employer obligations under federal and state laws. In many cases, both […]
Turnover for private duty caregivers is an ongoing challenge in the industry, and it’s only getting worse. Consider the following tips to help address turnover at your own agency: 1. Focus on compelling job post headlines. A powerful headline can be the difference between a job candidate scrolling past your agency’s post and following through […]
Agencies must comply with HIPAA when passing patient protected health information (PHI) back and forth. follow these eight tips to protect your patients and agency from breaches: Assess how you and your business associates transmit PHI to each other as part of your regular HIPAA risk analysis. If you uncover any vulnerabilities, resolve them. Ensure […]
Ensure caregivers speak to clients in a way that clients can comprehend and that any documentation your agency provides is understandable as well. A huge percentage of U.S. adults have some form of literacy issue, notes Misty Kevech, project coordinator for the Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign. And clients who are 65 years […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently clarified which healthcare providers are exempt from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) paid sick and family and medical leave policies. How We Got Here When the FFCRA was first enacted, the DOL indicated healthcare providers’ employees were exempt from the emergency paid sick leave and expanded […]
Don’t ignore the impact office employees have on client satisfaction and caregiver recruitment and retention. Doing so could cost your agency dearly. High-caliber office staff helped one Colorado-based private duty agency grow to a mid-sized agency in a short period of time. Touching Hearts At Home had just two people working in the office, but […]