Home Health & Hospice Articles by Topic: Conditions of Participation

Create a patient rights verification form to prevent survey citations related to revised CoPs

• Homecare Direction, Issue 8, August 14, 2017

  Create a checklist to verify that your agency has explained to patients and/or their legal...

New emergency preparedness guidelines provide clues for what surveyors will focus on

• Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 21, 2017

  Review emergency preparedness policies and procedures at least annually, and make sure they...

When can we expect to see interpretive guidelines? What should our agency be doing given the new CoP delay?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 14, July 17, 2017

  The clock has been reset, and agencies that haven’t taken steps to prepare for the revised...

CMS finalizes home health CoP delay days before effective date

• Homecare E-News, Issue 26, July 10, 2017

  Less than a week before most of the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) were...

Implement a strong performance improvement project as part of QAPI

• Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 10, 2017

  Your agency has gone through the quality assessment piece of QAPI and identified areas that need...

What does the summary report on the clinical record need to entail?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 14, July 17, 2016

  The Conditions of Participation (CoP) mandate the agency to send a summary report to the physician...

What do the proposed Conditions of Participation (CoP) change in terms of general provisions?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2016

  Under the General Provisions, there are several proposed changes, including: Subunits will be...

I just learned I'm in one of the nine states required to abide by value-based purchasing (VBP)! What do I need to know?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 6, March 18, 2016

  I just learned I'm in one of the nine states required to abide by value-based purchasing (VBP...

What do the CoPs say about Lovenox administration?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 4, February 18, 2016

  I work at a homecare agency, and we have been getting referrals lately for nurses to administer...

Can you explain CMS’ proposed Conditions of Participation as they relate to patient rights?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 3, February 3, 2016

  CMS has made it clear it is looking to ensure patient rights are respected and expanded with much...

Can we accept physician verbal orders to begin home health services?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 22, November 17, 2015

  We are seeking clarification on whether we can accept a physician’s verbal order to begin...

Weekly Roundup

• Homecare E-News, Issue 44, November 9, 2015

  On Monday, November 2, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector...

Inside Story | The role of the care plan and visit notes in maintaining a compliant clinical record

• Homecare E-News, Issue 43, November 2, 2015

  The written care plan is not simply busywork. It is essential in the organization, delivery...

If the patient does not require a skilled bath, can our agency continue to provide this under the state personal care program?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 19, October 2, 2015

  If the patient does not require a skilled bath, can our agency continue to provide this under the...

Can you please explain what specifically needs to be under the supervisions of licensed professionals?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 19, October 2, 2015

  Can you please explain what specifically needs to be under the supervisions of licensed...

How do we update the comprehensive assessment for a major deterioration in status with the PPS payment requirements?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 18, September 17, 2015

   This patient’s change in condition has a real impact on resource utilization—an...

What does a comprehensive assessment include for non-OASIS patients, according to the Conditions of Participation (CoP)?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 18, September 17, 2015

  The CoPs identify several key components for this assessment. Here are the components and some...

I have read that CMS in 2015 has added to the Medicare manual that physicians need to estimate how much longer the skilled services will be required. Is there any clarification on this, and are we seeing any claims being denied due to this?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 14, July 16, 2015

  According to the final rule for 2015, physicians must state the length of skilled services for...

Where can I find that it would be illegal to charge a Medicare home health patient prior to rendering services, while reimbursing patient once CMS has paid the claim?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 12, June 15, 2015

  Assignment of benefits - This term means that the facility or the physician agrees to accept...

What does Patient Care 484.60: Care Planning, Coordination of Services and Quality of Care mean for agencies?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 8, June 9, 2015

   First, let’s review for everyone reading what the current CoP is and what is being...

If the physician orders vital signs, blood sugar monitoring, and/or pulse oximetry, do we need acceptable parameters on the plan of care?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015

  If the physician orders vital signs, blood sugar monitoring, and/or pulse oximetry, do we need...

Can we accept orders from a physician?s secretary or office nurse who is communicating with us instead of the physician?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015

  Can we accept orders from a physician’s secretary or office nurse who is communicating with...

What do we do if a patient has been snatched away from us?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015

  What do we do if a patient has been snatched away from us?

How can extended daily visits be justified and covered?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015

  How can extended daily visits be justified and covered?

Where can I find the rule about physician cosigning of a nurse practitioner's order so the order is valid?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015

  Where can I find the rule about physician cosigning of a nurse practitioner’s order so the...

Where is it specifically written that an NP or a PA cannot sign homecare orders?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015

  Where is it specifically written that an NP or a PA cannot sign homecare orders?

Can we use "zero" as a frequency in writing physician orders?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015

  Can we use “zero” as a frequency in writing physician orders? For example, physical...

What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015

  What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment?

If a RN sees a patient on Monday, April 13, 2015, when is the next supervision visit due?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 15, 2015

  If a RN sees a patient on Monday, April 13, 2015, when is the next supervision visit due? I...

What does the proposed standard Patient Care 485.65: Quality Assessment & Performance Improvement mean for my agency?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015

  My agency has been reviewing the proposed Conditions of Participation (CoP). We are looking at the...

What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015

  What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment? It’s the fifth day of the...

Can we get an MD order for a new start of care (SOC) date based on the patient request?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015

  Regarding M0102 and M0104: We received a referral and we contacted the patient within the...

Is a patient who is toileted every two hours covered under Medicare?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 6, March 17, 2015

  In combination, the nurse and HHA can provide up to 35 hours a week in medically necessary...

Is it true that we need to change our process and submit ALL OASIS assessments to the AS

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 6, March 17, 2015

   Yes, all Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid OASIS assessments must be transmitted.

Is it true that the physical therapist has to make a visit no less than once every two weeks when a physical therapy assistant is involved with the same case and primarily doing most visits?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 3, 2015

  On the federal level, the CoPs/ Medicare Benefit Policy Manual states that for all certified...

Is there a requirement to have our annual program review/PAC minutes approved by our board of directors each year?

• Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 3, 2015

  There is not a specific Condition of Participation (CoP) stating that the board must review your...

Will home health remain exempt from overtime compensation in most circumstances like it has for 40 years?

• Homecare Insider, Issue 1, January 5, 2015

  Will home health remain exempt from overtime compensation in most circumstances like it has for 40...