Fourth quarter FY 2017 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports (PEPPERs) are available for hospices, Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPFs), Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals (LTCHs). These reports summarize provider-specific data statistics for Medicare services that may be at risk for improper payments. Use your data to support internal auditing and monitoring activities. A new article in STAT explores whether long-term care facilities can legally turn away those seeking post-acute care who are taking medicine to treat opioid addiction. According to STAT, many nursing facilities routinely — and sometimes systematically and by policy — do not take in otherwise eligible residents for care if they are on medicines for opioid addition, such as methadone or buprenorphine. CMS is developing cross-setting post-acute care quality measures on the transfer of health information and care preferences in alignment with the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act). CMS this month announced it has posted the latest Home Health Agency Public Use File (PUF), with data from 2015. While it’s concerning that some people are apparently calling ride-share services like Uber when they need to get to the hospital in an emergency, others are wondering if ride-sharing or alternative services have their place in non-emergency medical transport. New in the April issue of PPS Alert for Long-Term Care... Goodbye RUG-IV, hello RCS-1: Preparing for quality under a proposed payment system Q: I have heard that the transition to the Resident Classification System, version 1 (RCS-1) will probably be introduced the same way the prospective payment system (PPS) was (with RCS-1 being introduced in increments over a four-year period). Is this correct, and if CMS chooses this route, will the PPS schedule need to be maintained for the next three CMS fiscal years? Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Monthly In-Service: April issue of CNA Training Advisor Pressure Injuries and Skin Tears Click here to receive a new lesson plan every month, including course materials, a 4-page in-service, and a quiz targeted to address the unique needs, interests, and concerns of CNAs. Education and Training Tools Identify systematic issues in your SNF Avoid care coordination citations at your home health agency This should be at the top of facilities’ priority lists Have you thought of your next senior living activity? | | Product Spotlight At HCPro, we help your organization make faster, better decisions by connecting your challenges and questions to an unrivaled network of experts, resources, and solutions. With a shared-cost membership, you can expect world-class thinking and advice without having to worry about the meter running or expensive consulting fees. An all-encompassing offering, PROPELAdvisory Services is available in six domains, with more on the way. Our growing family includes memberships in Medicare, long-term care, clinical documentation improvement, medical staff, coding, and revenue cycle management. Click here to learn more, or contact us at: 615-724-7213 | [email protected] |
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