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Post-Acute Advisor

CMS finalizes CoP delay days before effective date

 

Less than a week before most of the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) were set to take effect, CMS officially delayed their effective date by six months.

 

 

CMS releases interpretive guidelines, F-Tags for new survey process and penalty updates

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released revised interpretive guidelines to clarify existing requirements and provide guidance for Phase 2 of the new survey process, which includes requirements such as antibiotic stewardship, facility assessment, and QAPI.

 

 

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NAHC comments on hospice proposed FY2018 rule

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule (CMS-1675-P) that would update the Medicare hospice wage index, and cap amount for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The proposed rule was published on April 27, 2017. As proposed, hospices would see an estimated 1.0 percent ($180 million) increase in Medicare payments for FY 2018.

 

 

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Antibiotic stewardship causes drop in most commonly reported infection in healthcare settings

 

Clostridium difficile or C. diff is a deadly, treatment-resistant infection. For the first time in decades, data shared by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that the rate of C. diff has dropped, with a 9 to 15% decrease reported in incidences of C. diff in healthcare settings, including hospitals and nursing homes.

 

 

New device for preventing falls in seniors

 

B-Shoe Technologies based in Haifa, Israel is currently working on a product that, if successful, is expected to reduce falls in seniors: A shoe that can sense and automatically correct imbalance in every step.

 

 

Other Post-Acute News

 

 

New in the July issue of PPS Alert for Long-Term Care: Medicare proposes changes to payment rates and quality programs for SNFs in FY 2018

 

In a proposed rule published on April 27, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed several new policies for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing Program (VBP) and the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP). Specifically, proposed changes to these programs include added incentives under the SNF VBP as well as new quality measures to be reported under the SNF QRP.

 

Master OASIS-C2: Minimize productivity losses and comply with new guidance

 

OASIS-C2 is the single biggest regulatory change that is decreasing clinicians’ productivity in 2017, according to a recent DecisionHealth survey. New questions that were added for OASIS-C2 slow clinicians down, contributing to longer visits and documentation time; what’s more, incorrect OASIS answers also impact episode payments and outcome scores. Stop the productivity drain and ensure your outcome scores are accurate.

 

Preparedness and response to an active shooter event is the key to survival—and survival is no accident.

 

In today’s rapidly changing environment, no organization is immune from violence. It’s an unfortunate truth, but one that facilities should keep in mind as they revise their emergency preparedness plans to be compliant with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new standard before surveys begin in November. Those plans likely include policies and procedures for natural disasters, cyberattacks, and disease outbreaks—but what about an active shooter event?

 

Putting the pressure on pressure injury prevention

 

Pressure injuries and documentation are often among the most frequently cited survey deficiencies, and wound care is the subject of continuous research. Most recently, in April 2016, the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) approved revisions to its Pressure Injury Staging System.

 
 

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Upcoming CMS Events

 

 

Wednesday, July 12, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, ET - Creating and Verifying Your National Provider Identifier Call

 

Wednesday, July 19 from 2:30 to 3:30 pm ET - Assessing Your Ability to Support Patient Self-Management Webinar

 

Wednesday, July 26 from 2 pm to 3 pm, ET - ESRD QIP: Proposed Rule for Payment Year 2021 Listening Session

 
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