Don’t Let A Subcontractor’s False Claims Tank Your HHA’s Compliance
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat in Hot Topics.
Audit and monitor your staffing arrangements — before the feds do.
Just when you thought compliance with the False Claims Act (FCA) put enough on your plate, Congress has passed another rule that could leave you in regulators’ crosshairs.
As…
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Home Health Coding: Gather Details for COPD Case Mix Points
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat in Money Matters.
Question: Your 82-year-old patient lives alone and has a history of falls. He was admitted to home care for severe pain due to osteoarthritis in bilateral knees. You will be providing physical therapy and skilled nursing. He also has a…
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How Does Your HHA’s Patient Satisfaction Measure Up?
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat in Did You Know?.
Can you guess the area where home care patients are least satisfied?
Home care aides are working overtime to improve quality and increase patient satisfaction — and their efforts are paying off.
A survey of more than 105,000 patients treated by…
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Factor These Facets of Bereavement Care Into Your Hospice Programs
Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat in Tool Kit.
This 9-item checklist helps you achieve a first-rate program.
Hospice-provided bereavement care can provide a broad range benefits to the grieving. According to Theo Munson, MPH, manager of bereavement services for Lifetime Care/Hospice in Rochester, N.Y., a comprehensive program should…
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Home Health Coding Coach: Late Effects ICD-9 Tips
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Hot Topics.
Coding aces know that rules get turned upside down sometimes.
Late effect of CVA turns guidelines upside down.
When coding for late effects, sequencing is everything. Keep one rule of thumb and…
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MARKETING: Start the Conversation to Get Providers and Consumers Talking About Hospice
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Money Matters.
One hospice shares what they found works well.
The right educational approach can help providers and consumers realize that hospice can be an answer to end-of-life care needs — not a topic to avoid discussing.
That’s not to say that you don’t…
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Why Some Advanced Dementia Patients Don’t Get Hospice Care
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Did You Know?.
This step could ease pain among advanced dementia patients who are dying, researchers say.
Add advanced dementia patients to the long list of terminally-ill patients for whom the hospice benefit is underutilized, says a study recently published in the New…
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Home Health Sample Form: Point Vaccines Toward Your Neediest Patients
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Tool Kit.
This form will help you make the most of the tools at your disposal.
It’s all over the news: the H1N1 virus is running rampant and both vaccinations and treatment are in short supply.
This could be a potential problem…
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Home Health Rehospitalization: Discharged HF Patients Not Getting Recommended Drug
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Breaking News.
Only one-third of discharged heart failure patients get this inexpensive, fluid-reducing drug.
If you’re trying to reduce rehospitalization rates among your home health heart failure patients, you may want to check to see if spironolactone or a similarly acting aldosterone…
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Home Health PPS 2010 Update
Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by sanjay.aikat in Hot Topics.
Warning: Proposed rule doesn’t give you the instructions you need for compliant skilled services billing.
Figuring out which services Medicare will pay for is a toughie — but don’t think you’ll be able to look to CMS for guidance.…
