The scrutiny by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on general inpatient (GIP) level of care over the last few years has many agencies concerned about providing any level of care other than routine home care (RHC) for the vast majority, if not all, of their patients. Indeed, the... Keep Reading
The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey empowers hospice organizations by attracting referral sources, driving business growth, and sustaining compliance with industry regulations, including the current pay-for-reporting requirements and the shift to value-based care on the industry’s horizon. By evaluating hospice patient and caregiver experiences, the... Keep Reading
Providing healthcare in the home brings a level of difficulty that is not present in hospital or facility care. One of the challenges in home care is the environment in which care is provided. The care environment must be appropriate for medical services, be considerate of the safety and health... Keep Reading
Since the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) went into effect on January 1, many clinicians have probably asked themselves the same question I have: How does PDGM affect me? It is a reasonable question given that there was so much discussion about this considerable change during 2019. The Centers for Medicare... Keep Reading
It is important for hospices to understand that Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), Cigna Government Services (CGS), National Government Services (NGS), and Palmetto set disease-specific criteria for eligibility for coma that include assessing the non-disease specific criteria alongside the disease-specific criteria. As with all hospice patient diagnoses, eligibility is ultimately determined... Keep Reading
Proper use of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and meticulous hand hygiene are your best defenses against the coronavirus (COVID-19). It is important to remember that basic infection control measures pertaining to droplet transmission of respiratory illnesses should guide your practice. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Keep Reading
At the start of 2020, the care at home industry was consumed with worries about how the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) would impact home health therapy services. The removal of therapy thresholds being tied to home health reimbursement, among other significant changes, left organizations uneasy. However, care delivery patterns related... Keep Reading
There has always been a challenge when attempting to document goal-based services in the home due to the complexities of different service lines, unique payer type requirements, individualized client needs and lack of detailed reporting capabilities. When exploring goal-based care, agencies might ask themselves:
How can I create customized goals for... Keep Reading
Hospice marketing professionals can spend years developing the trust and confidence of their referral sources in the hospital and post-acute world. Very often these sources have elements of a personal relationship that cannot be ignored. The close nature of these relationships can be interrupted when it is impossible to sit... Keep Reading
Several unannounced compliance surveys focused on infection prevention and control have been conducted in multiple states during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) suspended non-emergency inspections across the country on March 4, and beginning March 20 prioritized complaints and facility-reported incidents triaged at the... Keep Reading
In times of uncertainty, it is vital for leaders to keep a constant pulse on their business, employees and clients. Given the changes that many hospice organizations are currently experiencing because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), close monitoring is even more crucial. What may have been routine business practice for months... Keep Reading
With the current personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage and possible continued shortage, agencies should develop strategies for PPE use and options for re-use when needed. Each type of PPE should be categorized in three ways: Plan A (Best Case Option), Plan B (Back-Up Plan), and Plan C (Worst Case Scenario).... Keep Reading
