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HHA Staff Development: Celebrate Your CNAs

Posted on 26. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Antoinette 'Nettie' Keeter

Case Study: How one hospice has created a culture of excellence for its CNAs

Often, nurses are the focus when it comes to home healthcare staffing. While their services…

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Defend Your HHA Against MSW Denials

Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Routine social worker evaluations can torpedo your claims.

Sole nursing visit denials may be more common, but sole medical social worker visit problems can cost you a pretty penny too when they result in LUPAs.

Medical reviewers for regional home…

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Home Health Coding Education: ICD-9 Fifth Digits

Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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You save time & money when you understand that ‘last’ isn’t ‘least’

If you don’t take the time to make certain you’re selecting the most accurate fifth digit up front, you’re likely to wind up with delayed or denied claims.…

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HHS OIG Targets Hospice Overpayments

Posted on 24. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Hospice claims errors cost Medicare $1.8 billion in 2006, says OIG.

Sure, the title is a real snore, but that doesn’t mean hospice providers shouldn’t wake up and check out the HHS Office of Inspector General’s

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HHA Helps Keep Patients at Home …

Posted on 23. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Nicci Kobritz

… and out of nursing facilities … What you can learn to help your own patients

Sometimes, home health agencies lose patients when they get well, but just as often…

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Home Health Urinary Incontinence Assessment Tool

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Add these 2 questionnaires to your intake process to spot hidden urinary incontinence problems.

Any patient can experience urinary incontinence, especially if he or she is immobile,smokes, has diabetes, or pelvic muscle weakness. Use this inventory form to gauge how…

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Don’t Let Semi-Independent Bathers Wash Out Your M1830 Response

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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OASIS Tip: Note patients’ ability to get into the tub or shower to choose correct number.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made its bathing item (M1830) safer for patients, but it removed most of the clarifying language that…

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Short of Breath: OIG Looks to Shorten Oxygen Equipment Rental Periods

Posted on 17. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Power wheelchairs, pressure-reducing surfaces & other ‘usual suspects’ also make list.

The HHS Office of Inspector General has just released its Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations for 2010. How’s that for a mouthful? And though the longwinded…

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Want an ICD-10 Preview Straight from the Horse’s Mouth?

Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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CMS busts ICD-10 myths in upcoming webinar. And we try some ICD-10 mythbusting ourselves.

If you’ve heard lots of rumors about ICD-10 codes lately, and want to get the real story straight from the horse’s mouth — here’s your…

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CMS Eases Up On CHOW 36-Month Rule

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by Editor.

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Rule still freezes many M&As.

The feds have made good on a pledge to loosen a punishing new restriction on home health agency changes of ownership (CHOWs) — but the new rule will still hit many HHAs hard.

In regulations that…

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