For many in the hospice industry, caring for people at the end of life is a calling. Tarrah Lowry, president and CEO of Sangre de Cristo Hospice and Palliative Care in Pueblo, Colorado, began working in hospice care by a rather unusual route: through the automotive industry. Lowry had an... Keep Reading
There are many reasons that OASIS accuracy is vital to the success of an agency. But it is so much more than just the connection between accurate information and episode reimbursement. It is also important to keep in mind the impact that the OASIS assessment has on your Quality of... Keep Reading
Under the current fee-for-service payment system, there is not always a clear correlation between good quality ratings and the amount of money Medicare spends on home healthcare reimbursement. Indeed, increased spending is not always associated with higher quality care or better patient health outcomes. As the focus of home healthcare... Keep Reading
The nationwide caregiver and nursing shortage is projected to worsen in the coming years due to the increase in aging baby boomers. Staffing challenges, from caregiver hiring to retention, were the top concern for 77% of home care agencies surveyed by Home Care Pulse in 2017.
This means that it is... Keep Reading
This is the first installment in a series of blogs on optimizing hospice patient and family experiences by examining each question on the CAHPS Hospice Survey and exploring opportunities to improve hospice care delivery.
The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey empowers hospice organizations by attracting referral... Keep Reading
One thing everyone in the home health industry can relate to is an environment of constant change. The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) is only the latest example. There have been changes to ICD-10 codes and guidelines, CoPs, adjustments to the formatting of the OASIS, added and removed Outcomes and Process... Keep Reading
With more than 28 years of healthcare at home experience, Jamie Summerfelt, M.Ed, MSPT, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) in Omaha, Nebraska, is passionate about home care. He began his career in home health as a physical therapist, providing outpatient care in the 1970s. Summerfelt loves the... Keep Reading
Paperless patient claims or “electronic claims” are generated and transmitted electronically to a health insurer or third-party payer for processing and payment. This transaction reduces unnecessary administrative strain, reduces claim denials and lessens the expense involved with processing and submitting manual claims. Though this type of transaction comes with many... Keep Reading
Home health agencies will soon be dealing with the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model, which begins on January 1, 2020. Under PDGM, providers can succeed with a well-focused management team and a well-informed staff. For agencies to successfully move forward in the PDGM system, they must be diligent in... Keep Reading
If there is one thing Joel Theisen, BSN, RN is passionate about, it’s developing proactive, preventative long-term care for older adults. Theisen is chief executive officer and founder of Lifesprk, an innovative home care company based in Minnesota that is focused on bringing Theisen’s passion to life.
The Future of Home... Keep Reading
Medicare reimbursement for home health providers will completely change under the Patient-Driven Groupings Model. When the new system takes effect in January 2020, it will require major adjustments to how organizations operate. A new white paper from Axxess provides in-depth detail about the changes and how each stage of the... Keep Reading
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes a proposed rule for home health each summer for the following payment year. While this proposal outlines the payment structure for the calendar year following its release, it often outlines other planned changes for industry standards and requirements. This year’s rule... Keep Reading
