Home Health Line
12/08/2014

Agencies and physicians should answer four simple questions to successfully communicate the clinical rationale that a patient is homebound and in need of skilled care.

 
12/08/2014

When it comes to episodes with physical therapy, agencies that bill Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) Palmetto GBA may be in for a surprise: Claims can be denied when documentation fails to show both short-term and long-term goals for the patient. A number of agencies recently learned the hard way that without both, they wouldn’t be reimbursed and that appealing such denials could land them in the more than three-year wait for an administrative law judge (ALJ) hearing. Adding to the uncertainty is a Palmetto article, released Oct. 30, that states short-term and long-term goals aren’t always necessary.

 
12/08/2014

Avoid undue CMS surveyor scrutiny by using a standardized form to notify physicians of a missed visit.

 
12/08/2014

Some of the most profitable primary home health diagnoses will be affected by regulatory changes in 2015 — including depression, which will drop off the case-mix table as a payment diagnosis beginning in January 2015. 

 
12/08/2014

CMS is providing the public with 30 additional days to comment on proposed changes to the home health conditions of participation (CoPs). Agencies will have until 5 p.m. EST Jan. 7, 2015, to comment.

 
12/08/2014

In certain circumstances, for some patients, CMS might grant Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) a waiver that would allow home health agencies to provide care to patients who aren’t homebound.

 
12/08/2014

CMS’ latest ICD-10 testing week drew far less response — and a lower acceptance rate — than a similar testing week held in March.

 
12/08/2014

Diagnoses involving V57 (Rehab procedures) were the most profitable in home health in 2013. That’s according to data from Seattle-based National Research Corporation showing the industry’s five most profitable diagnoses. 

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