Category: Skilled Nursing Facility

CMS cutting-edge technology identifies & prevents $820 million in improper Medicare payments in first three years

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 22, 2015 Healthcare reform

After three years of operations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that the agency’s advanced analytics system, called the Fraud Prevention System, identified or prevented $820 million in inappropriate payments in the program’s first three years. The Fraud Prevention System uses predictive analytics to identify troublesome billing patterns and outlier claims for […]

ICD-10 is almost here! How to get started

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 22, 2015 ICD-10

This week, CMS is highlighting different steps to help providers get ready for the ICD-10 compliance date of October 1, 2015. While ICD-10 is almost here, you still have time to get ready. But you must get ready now. How to get started: Verify that you can use your ICD-10-ready systems to: Generate a claim […]

Proposed revisions to two-midnight rule will not significantly change hospital practices

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 17, 2015 Clinical concerns

On July 8, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) update included proposed revisions to the “Two-Midnight Rule” and its enforcement within the Medicare reimbursement of acute care hospitals for outpatient care. The Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) takes the stance that the revision will not significantly change hospital practices. If the proposed […]

Upcoming Medicare Boot Camp- Long-Term Care Version in Minneapolis, MN, August 17th-20th

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 15, 2015 Billing

HCPro’s Medicare Boot Camp®–Long-Term Care Version covers the latest Medicare rules and regulations so that you can help your facility provide quality resident care, bill appropriately for services, and prevent payment denials. Medicare Boot Camp®–Long-Term Care Version follows a Medicare patient from preadmission through discharge, addressing the function of each department, and uncovering the pitfalls along the way. […]

CMS proposes major revision to regulations for long-term care

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 14, 2015 Healthcare reform

On July 13, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposal to improve the quality of care and safety affecting long-term care residents. Regulations regarding reduction of unnecessary hospital readmissions and infections, increased quality of resident care, and strengthened safety measures top the major revisions in CMS’ proposed rule CMS-3260-P, which […]

CMS and AMA Announce Efforts to Help Providers Get Ready For ICD-10

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 6, 2015 Healthcare reform

With less than three months remaining until the nation switches from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding for medical diagnoses and inpatient hospital procedures, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) are announcing efforts to continue to help physicians get ready ahead of the October 1 deadline. In response to […]

CMS issues updated guidance for ICD-10 end-to-end testing

By Amanda Hurlburt Jul 6, 2015 Automation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued updated guidance as the last week (July 20-24) to conduct ICD-10 end-to-end testing with Medicare approaches. The goal with end-to-end testing is to ensure that: Providers and submitters can successfully submit claims containing ICD-10 codes to the Medicare FFS claims systems; software changes the Centers […]

COMING SOON! Biller’s Association

By Amanda Hurlburt Jun 26, 2015 Clinical concerns

At HCPro, we recognize that long-term care billers are a largely underserved professional population. While long-term care has national associations for nearly every type of nursing home professional, no membership association for billing professionals exists – until now. The soon to be launched HCPro’s Billers’ Association is a national membership community designed specifically for long-term […]

Core Administrative Competency: SNF by Reginald Hislop III

By Amanda Hurlburt Jun 26, 2015 Clinical concerns

As I have written before and readers know, I field as many questions and provide as many resources as I can “free” of charge.  My e-mail is publicly available for contact on this site and on my LinkedIn page.  The title of this post thus, is a reference to the many questions I’ve received as of […]

The White House announces 2015 Conference on Aging

By Amanda Hurlburt Jun 24, 2015 Clinical concerns

The July 13th event will continue the White House’s year-long effort to listen, learn, and share with older adults, their families, caregivers, advocates, community leaders, and experts in the aging field on how to best address the changing landscape of aging in the coming decade. The 2015 Conference aims to embrace the transformative demographic shift […]