As the spread of COVID-19 persists, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is undertaking targeted infection prevention and control surveys to verify that organizations are doing everything they can to protect vulnerable patients from the coronavirus.
The use of an easy-to-use hospice software can help hospice organizations prepare for... Keep Reading
The pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic continuing into the holidays has caused a noticeable shift in the mental health and stability of home healthcare professionals. While caregiver burnout was an ever-present challenge pre-pandemic, it is now a heightened concern. Providing wellness videos and programs are an ideal way for employers... Keep Reading
Scientists took nine months to develop and test COVID-19 vaccines and still managed to beat their planned release date by one month, a goal many said was unrealistic for a task that should take years. Efforts to create a COVID-19 vaccine were prioritized thanks to a federal partnership called Operation... Keep Reading
When I was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease at the age of 50, I was shocked. I am healthy and have low blood pressure, so I never thought this disease was a possibility for me. This is something I see in my patients, not me. But now I was... Keep Reading
The home health experts at Axxess know the industry well. They, too, were clinicians working for multiple organizations to pick up any extra visits available. That’s why Axxess CARE, our home health scheduling and staffing software, was created: to help fellow home health clinicians make more money, faster, by using... Keep Reading
The release of the Medicare Home Health 2021 Final Rule didn’t come without disappointment and frustration, although the changes are much more subtle compared to the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) a year ago.
While the implementation of the no-pay Request for Anticipated Payment (RAP) has dominated most examinations... Keep Reading
The Medicare Hospice Benefit is an option for any Medicare beneficiary to receive hospice care, but it’s not a requirement. Revoking the benefit is the right of the patient, however, it generally does not result in improved outcomes.
To prevent hospice revocation, ensure during the admission process that patients who are... Keep Reading
The Help Choose Home podcast recently welcomed Steven Landers, MD, MPH, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse Association Health Group. With a history of bringing care to people for over 100 years, VNA Health Group is the largest nonprofit provider of community home health and hospice services in New Jersey.... Keep Reading
Home health organizations have a new hurdle from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2021 Final Rule: the no-pay RAP, which introduces penalties for untimely Request for Anticipated Payment (RAP) submissions. Organizations have many questions regarding submission requirements, claim components and the benefits of these changes.
The OASIS Assessment... Keep Reading
The year 2020 taught organizations a great deal about the importance of emergency preparedness, the vital role caregivers play in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases and the possibility of unexpected circumstances regardless of how proactive an organization might be.
As home care organizations start looking forward to a new year... Keep Reading
Hospice interdisciplinary group meetings might be shorter (and less interdisciplinary) in 2021.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is finalizing alterations to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP), created to analyze hospice organizations’ reporting data in an effort to standardize a level of quality care. HQRP data is pulled... Keep Reading
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up care at home. In a survey by Axxess and Home Health Care News, 68% of organizations that have seen a decline in revenue cited staffing challenges during the pandemic as the cause.
The average age of a nurse is 51, which is among a generation... Keep Reading