A new effort is underway to allow observation stays to count toward the three-day stay required by CMS to qualify for reimbursement for a postacute skilled nursing facility stay.
Q: I work for a home health agency. They’ve recently instructed us not to wear scrubs, lab coats, or anything that could obviously identify us as healthcare professionals. They’ve asked us to wear more business/professional casual attire because some patients complained that their neighbors saw nurses coming into the house and were concerned it was a HIPAA violation. Is this really a HIPAA concern, or could this be considered an incidental disclosure?
This week's note reviews pre-service coverage analysis processes in light of the recent CMS decision to delegate the target, probe, and educate medical review strategy to the Medicare Administrative Contractors.
This week’s Medicare updates include the quarterly listing of program issuances, a fact sheet on the federal health exchange’s 2018 open enrollment period, revised instructions for certificate of medical necessity and durable medical equipment information forms, and more!
The largest source of estimated revenue loss in the healthcare midcycle in 2016 was attributed to inadequate documentation, according to a report by the Advisory Board. The report analyzed a range of hospitals in varying size, from 0–500 beds, to determine the impact of midcycle functions. The revenue loss reported for an average 250-bed hospital was $2–$5.5 million.
