Coding your home health claims is a multifaceted process fraught with complicated issues. The October 1st, 2023, update including expanded Parkinson’s codes is just such an issue. Gone are the days of choose one code and go. Let’s look at this expansion. The changes to these diagnosis codes began in September of 2021 with a…
Hospice Special Focus Program Revisions Needed According To NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) expressed strong support for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with the goal of the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) as a means to “identify hospices as poor performers, based on defined quality indicators”. But…NAHC in collaboration with other Home Health and Hospice State Associations submitted…
At the Heart of the Matter: The Potential of CHAP Disease Management Programs for Heart Failure
According to the CDC, an estimated 6.5 million adults over the age of 20 have a diagnosis of heart failure. Certain conditions and unhealthy behaviors can increase the risk for heart failure. Caring for the heart failure patient in the home can often be challenging and requires a thorough understanding of the disease and the…
Texas Abuse, Neglect & Exploitation
Texas Health and Human Services published a Long-Term Care Regulation Provider Letter on May 22, 2023, for the Home and Community Support Services. This provider letter outlines new reporting requirements for Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation effective July 1, 2023. Suspected ANE for Medicaid consumers are to be reported to Department of Family and Protective Services…
Strengthening Quality and Your Marketing Edge: Disease Management Certification for Home Health Agencies
Introduction: In the evolving landscape of healthcare, home health agencies face increasing demands to provide high-quality care to patients with chronic diseases and complex medical needs. Seeking disease management certification can serve as a catalyst for home health agencies to improve the quality of their services while gaining a competitive marketing edge. In this blog…
Home Health Final Rule Draft
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended on May 11th—but now what? Home health and hospice providers have received some information about how to return to normal following the COVID-19 waivers. However, we continue to wait for other clarifications and the OSHA final rule. In the meantime, CMS released a preview of its final rule on May 31st. …
Hospice Surveys & Complaints
When is the last time you entered a complaint in your grievance log? One of the core standards of focus for hospice surveyors is §418.52(b)-Exercise of rights and respect for property and person. The interpretive guidelines for this standard state that a “grievance is a formal or informal written or verbal complaint made to any…
HHVBP
Home health agencies are living in the midst of CMS’ expansion of Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. There are quite a few intricacies to grasp regarding this program; however, CMS has published a self-assessment tool to help agencies get on track. An added bonus of this tool is the QAPI aspect. Don’t forget that MAC Legacy…
ICD-10 Coding Updates
It is coding update time again! Remember, not only are the ICD-10 codes updated effective October 1st of every year, but there are also changes to contend with on April 1st. If you have not coordinated with your EMR to ensure there is a planned update with the new grouper, now is the time to do…
Public Health Emergency and Hospice
The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11th requires hospice organizations to examine their current practices. The waivers and flexibilities put into place to ease burdens on hospices will be coming to an end. To avoid survey deficiencies, it’s important to know when compliance to the affected Conditions of Participation is expected. A…
