Home Health Line
04/14/2014
by: Laura Montalvo
CHRISTUS HomeCare in San Antonio provides the following sample narratives to referring physicians’ offices for use in explaining the need for home health services and to agency clinicians for use in skilled visit notes. The narratives have been updated based on recent guidance from Medicare administrative contractor Palmetto GBA and CMS and have helped the agency reduce its face-to-face denials.
 
04/14/2014
If comments on the emergency preparedness rule CMS proposed in December are correct, many home health agencies are facing compliance costs they can’t afford.
 
 
04/14/2014
The stakes have been raised for home health agencies that experience repeat CMS survey deficiencies, both standard and condition-level. Beginning July 1, surveyors will be able to penalize agencies as much as thousands of dollars a day for repeat deficiencies.
 
 
04/14/2014
The most common standard-level deficiencies involve care-plan problems. G0158 remained the most common deficiency in 2013, followed by G0159.
 
 
04/14/2014
Providing sample narratives that physicians can adapt or simply learn from has helped CHRISTUS HomeCare in San Antonio reduce claims denials.
 
 
04/14/2014
Create a local business listing on Google Places to move your agency up in search results, and make it easier for referral sources and client families to find your agency first.
 
 
04/10/2014
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which repeatedly has recommended to Congress steeper reimbursement cuts for home health, is ready to consider whether reimbursement should be changed altogether to a bundled payment. Under such a model, already being tested by CMS, home health would share payments with other providers such as hospitals and physician groups.
 
 

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