Know What Makes a Pressure Ulcer “Unavoidable”

Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

New stance shows your ulcer-prevention intent — no matter the final outcome.

Your clinicians are trained to prevent pressure ulcers, but sometimes all their hard work simply isn’t enough — and your agency shouldn’t have to pay the price for…

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Health Care Reform Brings Changes to Rural Add-on, Outlier Calculations

Posted on 21. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Pay for performance is on the horizon.

The biggest home care cuts in the recently enacted health care reform package are years away, but other reductions and burdensome requirements will hit next year.

The good news: The 3 percent rural…

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Nine Suspects Conspire in $1M Home Health Fraud

Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Pennsylvania Attorney-General filed the criminal charges based on evidence presented to a grand jury.

Nine suspects have been charged in Monroe County, Pennsylvania with what was dubbed as a “complex disability fraud scheme,” the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office announced on…

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Medicare Issues New Standards for DMEPOS Suppliers

Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Providers of respiratory therapy equipment are required to available 24/7.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released quality standards that suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) must meet if they’d like their Medicare…

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How Well do You Know Your Inpatient Procedure Codes?

Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

The 14 day rule may not measure what you think it does.

Now that OASIS C has been around a while, you may be feeling more at ease with the new diagnosis code “M” items. But have you settled in…

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3 Ways to Guard Against Occupational Hazards in Home Health

Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Keep employees safe and improve retention.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your HHA employees safe and on the job, the Centers for Disease Control has a nifty new 51-page resource for you.

Occupational Hazards in Home Healthcare, which…

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Medical Review: CERT Targets Physician Signatures

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

If you want to stand up under medical review, have the doc’s signature on the POC before you bill.

Getting physician signature on the plan of care (POC) rule is a long-standing home health billing requirement, but in day-to-day practice…

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Older Women Prefer Home Care

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Survey reports why insurance with home care benefit is popular.

The study showed that about…

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Hospice Census Numbers Slipping?

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Try taking a look at unusual referral sources.

There’s been a general rumbling in the hospice community of late — census numbers are dropping or leveling off. Have you been impacted?

Economy, Medicare Regs Likely to Blame

Determining precisely what…

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Direct Care: Older Personal and Home Care Aides Looking After Elderly

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by jan.mater.

Labor market faces an aging workforce in short supply.      

The US will have 1.2 million direct-care female workers who are 55 years and older by 2018, or 30 percent of the country’s direct-care workforce. This increase — rising…

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