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Issue 32, August 26, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  In this week's roundup: Home health class lawsuit denied. Collective action lawsuits have...

• Inside Scoop: Who Can Complete Data Collection

  The ability to show the impact of care begins with an accurate assessment at the beginning of the...

• Weekly Q&A: Can the OT make his or her initial assessment visit before the PT does if all staff make their visits on the same day?

  This is allowed, per Chapter 7, since eligibility has been confirmed. Now, if something happens...

• Mastering OASIS skills proves challenging

  Fazzi Associates, a Northampton, MA-based home health and hospice consulting firm has found that...

Issue 31, August 22, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  In this week's roundup: Home care study shows checklist possible aid in providing attention...

• Homecare Insider is making a change!

  Homecare Insider is changing to Post-Acute Advisor. We are now going to cover the news and...

• Insider's Scoop: Federal scrutiny for LOS and for-profit hospice facilities

  Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from The Hospice Guide to Billing and...

• Weekly Q&A: Our hospice massage therapist was on FMLA for three months (range was 1x?3x per month), and a patient was not seen. Would an ABN or HHCCN need to be initiated?

  Our hospice massage therapist was on FMLA for three months (range was 1x–3x per month...

Issue 30, August 15, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  In this week's roundup: Is there a doctor near the house? Probably not. The U.S. lacks the...

• Insider's Scoop: Medicare Advantage Plans

  Medicare also contracts with a private company to offer patients their Part A and Part B benefits...

• Product Spotlight: Ethics and Liability for the Home Health Team Video

  Reviewed by Mary Ellen Conway, RN, BSN A home health agency depends on its entire care...

• Weekly Q&A: If my patient is disabled and covered by a Group Health Plan through his or her own current employment or through a family member's current employment, is Medicare the primary or secondary insurance payer?

   Answer: If the employer has less than 100 employees, Medicare is the primary payer. If the...

Issue 29, August 8, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Pre-claim review pilot arrives in Illinois—2 days late The 2016 Summer Olympics...

• Insider’s scoop | Teaching programs for infection control

  In today’s homecare climate, care delivery must be efficient and effective. One secret to...

• What’s the best way to teach a patient about controlling infection?

  Standardized teaching programs contribute to consistent patient learning. A teaching program...

Issue 28, August 1, 2016

• Insider’s scoop | Star ratings

  CMS created the five-star rating systems to assist patients, families, and caregivers in comparing...

• What do the two star ratings measure?

  CMS created the five-star rating systems to assist patients, families, and caregivers in comparing...

Issue 27, July 25, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  New HHA PEPPER is now available A new release of the Program for Evaluating Payment...

• Take our five-minute survey to recieve a discount and enter our raffle!

  Take our short 10-question survey and receive 10% off any product on www.hcmarketplace.com...

• Calling all readers

  We want to know: What makes HCPro and the Beacon Institute your go-to resource for strategy, expert...

• Insider's scoop | Ethical dilemmas

  Ethical standards are part of everything you do as an aide. Understanding basic ethical standards...

• Are your billing practices up to date?

  Home healthcare billing is a complicated task—to make sure you receive all the payment...

• Q: My supervisor is questioning the mileage and the care I provided for a patient who lives 30 miles away. How can I justify my time and travel?

  Avoid any appearance of unethical behavior by keeping careful records of the care that you’ve...

Issue 26, July 18, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Home Health Star Rating previews are now available to agencies CMS has announced the Quality of...

• Insider’s scoop | Admission criteria

  Homecare agencies should develop and consistently implement admission criteria to ensure that they...

• Can we refuse to accept a patient whose home is dangerously run-down?

  Yes, as long as this is spelled out in your admission policy. The patient’s residence must be...

• Calling all readers

  We want to know: What makes HCPro and the Beacon Institute your go-to resource for strategy, expert...

Issue 25, July 11, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  False claims penalties to double Penalties for fraud by healthcare providers and others will...

• Insider’s scoop | Coding diabetes and related conditions

  The American Hospital Association (AHA) Coding Clinic has clarified the proper way to code...

• How are diabetes-related conditions coded under ICD-10?

  There is an assumption of a cause-and-effect relationship between diabetes and certain diseases of...

• Quality care, defined and measured

  CMS is sharing with the world how your agency stacks up to the competition through its Patient...

Issue 24, June 27, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Supreme Court lets wage rule stand The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a lower...

• Insider’s scoop | Working with the HHRG

  The CMS and medical reviewers pay close attention to patterns in care delivery and Home Health...

• What are regulators looking for in HHRG data?

  The CMS and medical reviewers pay close attention to patterns in care delivery and Home Health...

• Documentation is a team sport

  Documentation of terminal illness at admission and during the hospice service period must be...

Issue 23, June 20, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Study: Home health cuts costs of CJR The use of home health services after a major joint repair...

• Insider’s scoop | Avoiding CAUTIs

  The presence of a catheter is the strongest predictor of infection. If a person has a catheter for...

• Put your best face (to face) forward

  Face-to-face documentation requirements are vexing many home health agencies. Medicare requires...

• What are six ways to help prevent CAUTI?

  Provide catheter and perineal care according to agency policy and the instructions on your...

Issue 21, June 13, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  CMS moves prior authorization plan forward CMS last week announced plans to move forward with its...

• Insider’s scoop | Understand RAP requirements

  There are many types of payment under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) benefit. The...

• When can a RAP be submitted?

  An HHA can submit a RAP to Medicare when all of the following conditions are met:

Issue 20, June 6, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Legislators slam prior authorization proposal for home health A CMS proposal to require a prior...

• Insider’s scoop | Calculating the episode

  The clinical assessment for home health is known as the OASIS. This assessment is completed at the...

• How are nonroutine supply points calculated?

  Nonroutine supply (NRS) points are calculated from several OASIS questions. The NRS adds additional...

Issue 19, May 23, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Overtime laws could change the game for home health The Department of Labor’s final rule...

• How is dyspnea scored for patients on oxygen?

  If the patient is on oxygen continuously, assessment of the patient should be with the oxygen in...

Issue 18, May 16, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  A reminder: CMS wants your feedback Kudos? Complaints? Questions? With potentially...

• Insider’s scoop | Define quality

  Many agencies use the terms quality assurance and quality improvement interchangeably. However...

• Insider’s scoop | Improving dyspnea

  Measurement of improvement in dyspnea is based on one OASIS item, M1400, When Is the Patient...

• We’ve been asked to review recent (lower) HH CAHPS ratings. Is this a quality assurance activity?

  Quality assurance is a retrospective assessment and often is used to determine who is at fault when...

Issue 17, May 9, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  DoJ: Thousands deprived of home care options South Dakotans with disabilities do not have a...

• Insider’s scoop | Disease management

  The grouping of patients is by their chronic "condition" or diagnosis, such as ischemic...

• Why is disease management challenging in a homecare setting?

  Setting priorities and sequencing issues can be quite difficult with the medically complex...

Issue 16, May 2, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Change allows hospices to bill directly for preventive vaccines CMS has just issued Change...

• Can a patient who drives be considered homebound?

  CMS has said that patients who drive should not automatically be disqualified from Medicare...

• Insider’s scoop | ’Homebound’ patients who drive

  Can a patient who drives be considered homebound? CMS has said that patients who drive...

• Face forward

  Properly documenting the face-to-face encounter is vexing to many home health agencies. Medicare...

Issue 15, April 23, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  CMS proposes hospice changes for FY2017 CMS last week issued a proposed rule to update the hospice...

• Insider’s scoop | Documentation of homebound status

  Documentation of homebound status consists of four essential components. Document all four...

• Where should homebound status be documented?

  Document all four components in the initial assessment and the progress notes and/or summary...

Issue 14, April 18, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  3 HHAs make Fortune’s 20 best list Bad actors and poor working conditions grab a lot of...

• Insider’s scoop | Verbal orders

  The Interpretive Guidelines for §484.18(a) state that an agency can receive verbal orders...

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

  There is no regulatory requirement to document parameters for physician notification on the plan of...

Issue 13, April 11, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  CMS seeks comments on OASIS-C2 CMS has opened the comment period for the OASIS-C2 data set, and...

• Insider’s scoop | Ensure compliance with IC regulations

  The Conditions of Participation outline CMS’s expectation that the home health agency will...

• Join our home health book review group!

  HCPro is seeking enthusiastic home health administrators and directors, clinical supervisors...

• What should an infection control policy include?

  To satisfy regulatory and accreditation requirements and keep your staff and patients safe from...

Issue 12, March 28, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  HHS begins Phase 2 HIPAA audits The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for...

• Weekly roundup

  OIG finds $268M in Medicare hospice overpayments Recent investigations by the Office of...

• Insider's scoop | Proper coding for depression

  ICD-10-CM classifies depression under Disorder, depressive, major (MDD), but more information is...

• Insider’s scoop | ’485’ versus supplemental therapy orders

  Often referred to as the “485,” the plan of care generated at the time of admission or...

• Is an ’MDD’ classification sufficient for coding depression?

  No. ICD-10-CM classifies depression under Disorder, depressive, major (MDD), but more information...

• Can I put ’eval and treat’ on a 485 as a placeholder for therapy services?

  Often referred to as the “485,” the plan of care generated at the time of admission or...

Issue 11, March 21, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Analysis: No 'gotchas' for hospice in MedPAC report Chapter 11 of the Medicare Payment Advisory...

• Insider’s scoop | Know your protocols

  When nurse experts are asked to review a medical record in preparation for a legal case, they rely...

• What does clinical documentation show?

  When nurse experts are asked to review a medical record in preparation for a legal case, they rely...

Issue 10, March 14, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Study makes the case for increasing PACE An article titled “A Case Exemplar for National...

• Insider’s scoop | Managing seizures

  Seizures—sometimes called convulsions—involve rhythmic jerking of the body or an...

• Train staff to be ICD-10 code warriors

  ICD-10 is here. What steps is your agency taking to ensure your staff are getting and staying...

• What can a home health aide do to keep a patient safe during a seizure?

  If a hospice patient is having a seizure, alert your supervisor, and then follow the directions...

Issue 9, February 29, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  Stars and confusion CMS began publishing home health agency (HHA) Quality of Care star ratings...

• Weekly roundup

  Hot off the press: 296 pages of CDC disaster advice The Centers for Disease Control and...

• Insider’s Scoop | Stay focused on the focus of care

  The focus of care is the main reason the patient was admitted to home health in the first place. A...

• Insider’s scoop | Ostomy care

  It is very likely that a homecare agency will have people on census who have ostomies. Whether or...

• True or False? All patients require an aide to assist in their ostomy care

  False: Most people who have a colostomy or ileostomy are independent in taking care of it. However...

Issue 8, February 22, 2016

• Weekly roundup

  CMS finalizes shorter risk period for overpayments CMS has released its final overpayment rule...

• Insider's Scoop | Build an effective plan of care

  Development of a plan of care by the occupational therapist, physical therapist, and/or...

• Insider’s Scoop | Create an effective plan of care

  Development of a plan of care by the occupational therapist, physical therapist, and/or...

• OASIS (and ICD-10) in Las Vegas

  There’s still time to join coding and OASIS expert Joan Usher, BS, RHIA, ACE, an...

Issue 7, February 15, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  CMS aims to launch pilot prior authorization program in 5 states CMS intends to start a Medicare...

• Inside scoop | Coding congestive heart failure

  February makes us think of hearts and valentines, so what better way to celebrate the month than...

• What is the best approach for coding congestive heart failure?

  Coders need to be specific in coding the type of CHF (systolic, diastolic, or combined) and the...

Issue 6, February 8, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  CMS extends Medicare home health moratorium CMS has extended its moratorium on the enrollment of...

• Insider’s scoop | Hypotension may be a symptom of heart failure

  Hypotension is low blood pressure—or blood pressure readings of 90 or less systolic and 60 or...

• What is hypotension?

  Hypotension is low blood pressure—or blood pressure readings of 90 or less systolic and 60 or...

• Give your back office a tune-up

  The home health back office often operates without much thought or oversight, endangering proper...

Issue 5, February 1, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  CMS finalizes Medicaid face to face rule CMS has issued a final rule requiring physicians or...

• Insider's scoop | Oral care considerations

  A healthy mouth is important for speaking, chewing, and overall health and well-being. As people...

• Is an aide responsible for a patient’s oral hygiene?

  The aide is responsible for performing oral hygiene if the person cannot, and for reinforcing...

Issue 4, January 25, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  Study: Physicians opt for less aggressive care before death Physicians tend to get less...

• Insider's scoop | Amputation and rehabilitation

  The term “rehabilitation” is most often used when trained professional therapists are...

• What is the different between "rehabilitation" and "restorative care"?

  The term “rehabilitation” is most often used when trained professional therapists are...

Issue 3, January 18, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  Senate bill would expand insurance for homecare A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last month...

• Insider's Scoop | Completion of assessment

  Assessment components of the patient referred for therapy in inpatient rehabilitation...

• When is a decision made regarding a patient’s need for therapy and the setting in which it will occur?

  The initial assessment is the time point where decision-making occurs about whether the patient...

• Help your home health aides meet their in-service hours!

  Order HCPro's complete set of 22 home health aide training videos, for up to 3.0 in-service hours...

Issue 2, January 11, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  It was a very good year for M&As Home health sector mergers and acquisitions jumped in 2015...

• Insider's Scoop | Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) care

  Editor’s Note: This week’s Insider’s Scoop is from Home Health Aide On the Go...

• What observations are critical when caring for a stroke patient?

  When working with stroke patients, you are responsible for several types of observations. First...

Issue 1, January 4, 2016

• Weekly Roundup

  CMS releases draft of OASIS C2 CMS has issued a draft of the Outcome and Assessment Information...

• Insider’s Scoop | The basics of determining medical necessity for therapy

  Editor’s note: This week’s Insider’s Scoop is from Documenting Medical Necessity...

Issue 46, February 22, 2016

• Ethics and Liability for the Home Health Team

  A home health agency depends on its entire care team—aides, nurses, therapists, and social...