Rehab Newsletters

Ever-changing reimbursement policies and government regulations affects your facility's ability to stay in compliance. Briefings on Outpatient Rehab Reimbursement & Regulations reports on these changes and offers suggestions on how best to cope with them.

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Briefings on Outpatient Rehab: Reimbursement and Regulations

Issue 12, December 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• New CPT codes cover education of patients, auditory rehabilitation

  Effective January 1, 2006, therapists will have several new CPT codes of which to keep track. The...

• Employment agencies can fill staffing voids at your facility

  A professional employment agency might be just what your facility needs, whether you need a...

• Cleaning whirlpools is still a must for wound and burn hydrotherapy

  Even though treating wounds and burns with whirlpools is a declining practice, the need for keeping...

• BRRR coding corner

  Editor’s note: This column appears monthly in BRRR to help answer subscribers’ coding...

• Medicare may soon cover cardiac rehab

  Cardiac rehab has been the target of dozens of compliance-related investigations by the Office of...

Issue 11, November 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Are managed care contracts right for your practice’s needs?

  Tips to research, negotiate, apply for managed care networks In the ongoing quest to establish...

• Therapists: Code correctly to get paid for urinary incontinence services

  Follow these tips to improve reimbursement Treating patients who suffer from urinary...

• Be prepared to treat bariatric patients

  Although Medicaid and most insurance companies have yet to come around on reimbursement for...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

• Physicians must be on hand in cardiac rehab areas

  On-call code teams are not enough to fulfill Medicare regulations at outpatient cardiac rehab...

Issue 10, October 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Are you 100% sure how the 75% rule affects your organization?

  What you need to know about this regulation If you work at an outpatient facility, you may have...

• Qualified therapists hold the upper hand on the job market

  The old saying "good help is hard to find" best sums up the current market for PTs and OTs these...

• Branching out in your own business

  Therapists looking to break out on their own have many things to consider before starting their own...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

Issue 9, September 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Work at an SNF? Get up to speed

  The new expedited review process has taken effect Medicare beneficiaries gained access on July...

• Therapists take the stand and share their expertise

  Know your role if you ever have to serve as a witness Whether you make a career out of...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

Issue 8, August 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Location, location, location

  How to create consistency among multiple rehab branches If you work for a large rehab chain or...

• Get the reimbursement you’re due

  Test your billing and coding knowledge with this pop quiz Rick Gawenda, PT, director of...

• Ergonomics can have you sitting pretty

  Add an injury prevention program to your facility’s offerings In addition to their...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

Issue 7, July 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Don’t be tripped up by fall assessments

  How, when, and why to conduct them at your facility Therapists in skilled nursing facilities...

• Do-it-yourself rehab marketing

  How to get your name out to both consumers and physicians If you still use the standard holiday...

• It ain’t just a river in Egypt

  Learn to navigate through the new denial and appeal process By now you’ve probably heard...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

Issue 6, June 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Niche market alert: Worker’ comp

  Chances are, you’ve treated some workers’ compensation patients here and there, but if...

• Manual changes good news for rehab

  On May 6, CMS released Transmit tal 34, which contains revisions to the Medicare Benefit Policy...

• Tired of hearing about HIPAA compliance?

  Here’s why you shouldn’t sweep it under the rug If you scrambled to meet all of the...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor’s note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in...

Issue 5, May 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Don't let your certs and recerts fall through the cracks

  You could provide stellar care at your facility, but if you don't obtain an initial certification...

• Aide and assistant rules demystified

  Whether you own a successful rehabilitation practice or are a PT or OT employed in an outpatient...

• Document your goals to decrease your denial rate

  Goal setting is an essential part of documenting therapy services to support an appeal. When you...

• Improving leadership and management at work

  Before you pursue that rehab director position or are asked to fill it by facility management...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor's note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon...

Issue 4, April 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Abbreviate cautiously to alleviate documentation confusion

  Abbreviations always make sense when you're the one using them, right? But sometimes shorthand can...

• Malpractice insurance isn't just for physicians anymore

  With healthcare malpractice lawsuits on the rise, individuals other than physicians are being named...

• Niche market alert: Obesity management

  Learn how to add it to your facility's offerings Last spring, therapists at Darien (CT...

• Increase physician referrals at your facility

  Read on if you could use a few employee relationship pointers From a facility with an...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor's note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon...

Issue 3, March 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• MedPAC is not a direct-access champion

  Despite lobbying efforts to allow direct access for Medicare beneficiaries, the Medicare Payment...

• Review the rules of record retention

  Maintain your medical and financial records without becoming a pack rat Maybe your facility is...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor's note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon...

Issue 2, February 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor's note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon...

Issue 1, January 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Hear this, OTs: How to offer listening therapy to your patients

  If you're looking for a way to enhance the treatment you offer patients, particularly the pediatric...

• Necessity knowledge is necessary

  Establishing medical necessity is an essential part of ensuring reimbursement for the services you...

• BRRR Q&A

  Editor's note: Nancy J. Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon...