Home Health & Hospice Articles by Topic: Conditions of Participation
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 3, March 12, 2020
About 32% of agencies worked to implement or complete a QAPI performance improvement project on...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 3, March 12, 2020
By using a sign campaign in patient homes, one Ohio agency was able to reduce the number of major...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, February 25, 2020
Medicare does not dictate a time frame. This is what the Conditions of Participation...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 1, January 27, 2020
Verbal confirmation of an order or diagnosis can be implemented without a returned signed order.
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 11, November 8, 2019
Agencies should take a close look at how they conduct competency evaluations to ensure compliance...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 11, November 8, 2019
Agencies will no longer be required to provide patients with a verbal notification of all their...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, October 28, 2019
The answer is yes, but the agency needs to make all reasonable attempts to receive a copy of the...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 10, October 11, 2019
Agencies once again will be able to use pseudo-patients to conduct aide skill competency...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 10, October 11, 2019
After four years, a proposed rule and a deadline extension, CMS is finalizing conditions home...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 8, August 26, 2019
It depends on the agency’s policy but if the patient’s change is really significant...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 7, July 29, 2019
There is no opioid specific education related to the revised Home Health Conditions of...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 7, July 29, 2019
Unfortunately this is an instance of where we have conflicting regulations.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 7, July 29, 2019
Since this is a condition for payment, then the patient must give informed consent prior to...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 8, 2019
While OASIS-D1 will make responses to 23 existing items optional, agencies must keep in mind that...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 4, April 18, 2019
I don’t like adding extra forms and paperwork for staff.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 4, April 18, 2019
A couple years ago, the new administration came in with a desire to simplify life for providers.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 4, April 18, 2019
We’re going to keep seeing agencies cited for issues involving organization and...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 4, April 8, 2019
Education and communication are the keys to improving timely initiation of care for agencies...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 3, March 22, 2019
Root cause analysis still needs to be done at every hospital transfer because agencies will be able...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 3, March 22, 2019
The revised CoPs don't give specific protocols for what a PIP must look like.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 3, March 22, 2019
The Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) require the governing body approve all policies...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 3, March 22, 2019
Are the clinicians moving the visits to another day during the week?
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, February 25, 2019
You note that CMS is adding “emerging infectious diseases” to the current definition of...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, February 25, 2019
When the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) originally came out, there was an...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, February 25, 2019
We are assessing and observing if we have an issue related to medical error.
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 2, February 5, 2019
More agencies plan to focus on improving the rate of acute care hospitalizations than any other...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 2, February 5, 2019
Case conferences will take on increased importance when the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 1, January 16, 2019
Face to Face is a Conditions of Payment requirement and is required for Medicare and Medicaid.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 1, January 16, 2019
G1024 (Authentication) is one of the more common standard-level deficiencies in 2018.
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 12, December 5, 2018
CMS has just given itself an additional year — until Nov. 3, 2019 — to finalize its...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 10, October 4, 2018
CMS is proposing to eliminate three requirements it has deemed “burdensome” for home...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 10, October 4, 2018
Nearly eight months after the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) took effect...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 13, September 4, 2018
You should have a policy in place that describes things like a bag barrier and how to clean your...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 13, September 4, 2018
In the scenario you discuss, your agency is in Indiana and are currently going through a federal...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 2, 2018
Among the top 12 standard-level deficiencies in home health thus far in 2018, seven involve issues...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 7, June 29, 2018
It’s great if your agency’s performance improvement project (PIP) under QAPI is up and...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 6, June 4, 2018
Initial survey results following the implementation of the revised Home Health Conditions of...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 12, 2018
This can be done by electronic methods.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 12, 2018
Several agencies have provided this information through a secure portal either through their EMR or...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 5, May 2, 2018
Break your agency’s clinicians of their mentality to rely solely on generic language or...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 5, May 2, 2018
Key target areas include informing patients about visit frequency and about explaining financial...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 4, April 12, 2018
Take steps to ensure the small pool of home health patients you have who can or do bathe would...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 4, April 12, 2018
To help comply with the new patient rights requirements in the revised Home Health Conditions of...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 3, March 29, 2018
CMS’ newly posted surveyor training reiterates the need for home health agencies to ensure...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 5, 2018
If you haven’t done so already, do the following to help your agency tackle compliance with...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 5, 2018
In CMS’ targeted probe-and-educate review, MACs will send ADRs to agencies that...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 10, March 5, 2018
The Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for home health agencies that became effective...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 9, February 26, 2018
After a CMS survey, the home health agency administrator, clinical manager, and any other key...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 2, February 5, 2018
Experts fear a lack of detailed surveyor training from CMS on the revised Home Health Conditions...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 4, January 22, 2018
CMS has sent a memo to state survey agency directors about the new tags surveyors should use to...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, January 17, 2018
Review agency policies and procedures around infection control and update them.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 2, January 17, 2018
You should review the final CoPs and the draft interpretive guidelines.
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 1, January 8, 2018
Within the revised Home Health Condi-tions of Participation (CoP) slated to take effect January...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 2, January 8, 2018
The final interpretive guidelines for the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 48, December 18, 2017
When examining the new draft guidelines for the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 12, December 11, 2017
CMS’ long-awaited draft version of the interpretive guidelines for the revised Home Health...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 23, December 1, 2017
Agencies that have never used a translation service before should investigate their options right...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 23, December 1, 2017
Regardless of whether you determine to challenge a survey, the Plan of Correction must be...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 45, November 27, 2017
CMS has issued new guidance that explains how agencies can go about converting subunits to...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 45, November 27, 2017
Many agencies are expressing deep concern about the lack of detail — and confusing details...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 44, November 20, 2017
CMS has decided to wait a year from Jan. 13 before imposing civil monetary penalties involving the...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 43, November 13, 2017
After CMS review, The Joint Commission has finally prepublished revisions to the Emergency...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 11, November 2, 2017
Restructure clinical managers’ positions so they function more like case managers. Doing so...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 21, November 2, 2017
A nurse should be skilled in cutting toenails, but because of the increased risk of liability if...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 20, October 17, 2017
There is no language specifically stating an NP or PA cannot give orders. Rather, the rules...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 19, October 3, 2017
Yes, the personnel qualification requirements for HHA administrators at §484.115(a) will...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 10, October 2, 2017
The way Texas and Florida agencies reacted to the recent catastrophic hurricanes should serve as a...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 17, August 31, 2017
The moment an HHA considers to be the start of the survey is when the surveyor arrives...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 17, August 31, 2017
Interpretive Guidelines §418.56(c)(2) state...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 8, August 25, 2017
Two months after CMS said there was no plan for another round of the probe-and-educate review for...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 8, August 14, 2017
Create a checklist to verify that your agency has explained to patients and/or their legal...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 21, 2017
Review emergency preparedness policies and procedures at least annually, and make sure they...
-
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...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 26, July 10, 2017
Less than a week before most of the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) were...
-
Homecare Direction, Issue 7, July 10, 2017
Your agency has gone through the quality assessment piece of QAPI and identified areas that need...
-
Beacon Institute On-Demand Webcast Library, Issue 2, February 22, 2017
Final Home Health CoPs: Minimize the cost of compliance
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 14, July 17, 2016
The Conditions of Participation (CoP) mandate the agency to send a summary report to the physician...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2016
Under the General Provisions, there are several proposed changes, including:
Subunits will be...
-
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...
-
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...
-
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...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 22, November 17, 2015
We are seeking clarification on whether we can accept a physician’s verbal order to begin...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 44, November 9, 2015
On Monday, November 2, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector...
-
Homecare E-News, Issue 43, November 2, 2015
The written care plan is not simply busywork. It is essential in the organization, delivery...
-
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...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 19, October 2, 2015
Can you please explain what specifically needs to be under the supervisions of licensed...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 18, September 17, 2015
This patient’s change in condition has a real impact on resource utilization—an...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 18, September 17, 2015
The CoPs identify several key components for this assessment. Here are the components and some...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 14, July 16, 2015
According to the final rule for 2015, physicians
must state the length of skilled services
for...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 12, June 15, 2015
Assignment of benefits - This term means that the facility or the physician agrees to accept...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 8, June 9, 2015
First, let’s review for everyone reading what the current CoP is and what is being...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015
If the physician orders vital signs, blood sugar monitoring, and/or pulse oximetry, do we need...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015
Can we accept orders from a physician’s secretary or office nurse who is communicating with...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 11, June 3, 2015
What do we do if a patient has been snatched away from us?
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015
How can extended daily visits be justified and covered?
-
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...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015
Where is it specifically written that an NP or a PA cannot sign homecare orders?
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015
Can we use “zero” as a frequency in writing physician orders? For example, physical...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 10, May 17, 2015
What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment?
-
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...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015
My agency has been reviewing the proposed Conditions of Participation (CoP). We are looking at the...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015
What should you do about a tardy recertification assessment? It’s the fifth day of the...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 9, May 3, 2015
Regarding M0102 and M0104: We received a referral and we contacted the patient within the...
-
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...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 6, March 17, 2015
Yes, all Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid OASIS assessments must be transmitted.
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 3, 2015
On the federal level, the CoPs/ Medicare Benefit Policy Manual states that for all certified...
-
Homecare Q&A, Issue 5, March 3, 2015
There is not a specific Condition of Participation (CoP) stating that the board must review your...
-
Homecare Insider, Issue 1, January 5, 2015
Will home health remain exempt from overtime compensation in most circumstances like it has for 40...