By Marisa Taylor, Kaiser Health News PHILADELPHIA — Carol Emanuele beat cancer. But for the past two years, she has been fighting her toughest battle yet. She has an open wound on the bottom of her foot that leaves her unable to walk and prone to deadly infection. Post your open jobs in front of the most qualified group of professionals within our industry. 25% off any product – Use coupon code: QualityCandidates jobs.hcpro.com The revised home health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) have been delayed, but that doesn’t mean agency preparations should be. Compliance with the new patient rights provisions within the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) will cost the industry about $147 million and require 2 million hours of time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded more than $200 million through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) cooperative agreement to help states, cities, counties, and territories prevent, detect, respond to, and control the growing threats posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. State programs are the foundation of the U.S. public health system and are integral to the nation’s efforts to combat infectious disease threats. CDC and states work together to improve local surveillance, laboratory diagnostic capabilities, and outbreak response. In an MLN Matters article published August 4, 2017, CMS announced that change request (CR) 10163which provides updates to the lists of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes that are subject to the Consolidated Billing (CB) provision of the SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS)corrects an error impacting certain claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 2015 that Medicare mistakenly denied prior to implementation of CR10163. CMS states that facilities should make sure their billing staffs are aware of these changes. After a bill to expand telehealth in Medicare first introduced in 2016 made little headway on Capitol Hill, determined legislators are seeking a new way in, by introducing several telemedicine bills aimed at different areas of Medicare, with a goal to get at least one passed. The challenge for skilled nursing facility (SNF) providers today is less about census and more about payer mix. Providers must develop a strong and replicable quality mix—one that, with the application of good marketing strategy and business development techniques, sources desired referrals consistently and dependably. From a regulatory standpoint, any hospice staff member, including volunteers, contractors, and affiliates (e.g., staff from the quality division of the health system to which a hospice belongs), may complete the HIS. Other Post-Acute News How do I build a partnership with a managed care organization? Managed care organizations (MCO) are breaking new ground when it comes to controlling and reducing long-term healthcare costs, changing the way care is delivered in today’s skilled nursing facility (SNF). With the number of managed care beneficiaries increasing every year and continual changes in how care is administered and reimbursed, it’s essential that SNFs understand best practices for optimizing managed care partnerships to increase their revenue and avoid losing substantial sums of money. New in the July issue of PPS Alert for Long-Term Care: $370 million increase for SNFs raises more than just pay rates It’s been said that Rome wasn’t built in a day, which is an archaic way of saying: Be patient, good things are coming. As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) navigate what some may consider to be healthcare’s own modern-day Roman empire -- a system undergoing serious revisions including how levels of care are monitored, the way reimbursement is divided, and the anything-but-straight-and-narrow shift from volume to value -- SNF providers are participating in history being made. On Monday, July 31, with the publication of a multi-faceted final rule, Rome’s grand plans just got a little grander -- but experts wonder if its tight budget will be enough to cover renovations. Critical thinking in home health: Skills to assess, analyze, and act Many home health nurses come with a lack of critical thinking experience. Industry experts collaborate to provide strategies to teach these individuals critical thinking skills, how to lead training during orientation, and how to apply it to the home health setting. 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. | | Product Spotlight Skilled Nursing Facility Billing Boot Camp provides hands-on, how-to education focusing on billing for Medicare Part A and B, the ins and outs of consolidated billing, accurately completing the UB-04. Plus, guidance on understanding the SNF coverage criteria and a breakdown of the different beneficiary notices. Attendees will be able to return to their facility with the tools they need to understand the latest billing and reimbursement regulations, plus how to navigate the many billing processes to ensure their SNF is receiving appropriate reimbursement for services provided. Billers Association Members (BAM) save 10% off the registration fee! |
| SIGN UP | FORWARD | ADVERTISE | | | Upcoming CMS Events Tuesday, August 15, 2:00pm, ET - CMS Long-Term Services and Supports Open Door Forum Wednesday, August 16 from 1:30 pm to 3 pm, ET - Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model Expansion Listening Session Thursday, August 17, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, ET - IMPACT Act: Drug Regimen Review Measure Overview for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program Call Wednesday, August 23, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, ET - Comparative Billing Report on Drugs of Abuse Testing Webinar Thursday, September 7, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, ET - Nursing Home Facility Assessment Tool and State Operations Manual Revisions Call: Dementia Care in Nursing Homes Thursday, September 21 - CMS SNF/Long-Term Care Open Door Forum Tuesday, September 26, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, ET - PQRS: Feedback Reports and Informal Review Process for PY 2016 Results Call: Physician Quality Reporting System |
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