Home Health Line
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. 

11/24/2014
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) will be checking the health screening records of Medicaid home health agencies to determine whether home visit staffers are being screened in accordance with federal and state requirements for controlling the spread of disease. 
 
11/24/2014
Among CMS’ two groups of approved Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) for which data are available — the 23 Pioneer ACOs in their second year, and the 220 Shared Savings Program ACOs completing their first year — the results have shown quality improvements but have not led to savings of consequence. 
 
11/24/2014
Overall demand for physical and occupational therapy assistants in the home health industry likely will increase next year as a direct result of a change in therapy reassessment requirements outlined in the final 2015 PPS rule.
 

Login

User Name:
Password: