An Easily Accessible Bulletin!

We are doing our best work in making sure that the Weekly Bulletin can easily be visually scanned, so that you can get the information and save time!  So the emails will contain the headlines from the entire bulletin.  However, since this is a benefit exclusive to our members, all of the links and full stories will still be archived for your convenience on the member portal!  If you forgot your password, just click here and recover it easily!

This post contains:

• Snapshot Updates
• Our Take
• Help Desk Question of the Week
• PDGM and RCD Updates
• Regulatory Updates
• News and more!

Bulletin- December 17th, 2019

Snapshot:

• HOSPICE: Is Your Agency Using Site of Service Codes (Q Codes) Correctly?
• HOSPICE: Hospice Advocates Push for CMS to Delay Medicare Advantage Carve-In, Hospice News, December 16, 2019
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Changes to Emergency Preparedness Requirements, NAHC Report, December 16, 2019
  
• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: MBI Transition Ends This Month: Will You Be Paid On January 1? –  Palmetto GBA
• HOME HEALTH: ODM November Electronic Visit Verification Newsletter Is Now Available. Issue 20 November 2019

RCD Updates

RCD UPDATES –

OCHCH Members: Thank you very much for participating in OCHCH’s December 13th RCD WEEKLY CALL!

OCHCH recently launched an awareness campaign to provide your agency with the assistance, information, resources, and training you need to tackle the challenges of RCD and PDGM. This campaign is called OPERATION: tackle.

Help Desk Question of the Week

Helpdesk Question of the Week –

HOME HEALTH: PDGM Question

Question: If a patient is admitted to the hospital for an in-patient stay, does that home health agency automatically discharge the patient.

Answer: The answer is it depends!  I found the answers in the October 2019 CMS Quarterly OASIS Q&As. Pages 1 – 10 address questions regarding OASIS under the new PDGM.

OASIS ANSWER 6: There is no change in the OASIS guidance in how agencies may use M0100 RFA 6 and 7 when a home health patient is admitted for an inpatient hospital stay. In the event that a patient had a qualifying hospital admission and was expected to return to your agency, you would complete RFA 6 – Transferred to an inpatient facility – not discharged from agency. If the patient was not expected to return to your agency after this inpatient facility stay, you would compete RFA 7- Transfer to an inpatient facility- patient discharged from agency.

However, if the patient required post-acute care in a SNF, IRF, LTCH or IPF prior to returning for home health services, CMS expects the home health agency to discharge the patient by completing the internal agency discharge paperwork and then to readmit the patient with a new Start of Care. This will allow appropriate admission status assignment for PDGM. There is no need to update or change the transfer OASIS to reflect this discharge.

If a home health patient is admitted directly to a SNF, IRF, LTCH or IPF for a qualifying stay (stays as an inpatient for 24 hours or longer for reasons other than diagnostic testing), you would complete RFA 7 – Transfer to an inpatient facility – patient discharged from agency, then readmit the patient with a new Start of Care if they were referred for further home health services.

OASIS ANSWER 7: When a patient returns home from an acute care hospital stay during the last 5 days of the current episode (days 56-60), the agency may complete only the Resumption of Care, allowing the assessment to serve both resumption and recert functions. However, if the patient required post-acute care in a SNF, IRF, LTCH or IPF prior to returning for home health services, CMS expects the home health agency to discharge the patient by completing the internal agency discharge paperwork and then to readmit the patient with a new Start of Care. This will allow appropriate admission status assignment for PDGM. There is no need to update or change the transfer OASIS to reflect this discharge.

Our Take 

OUR TAKE – Beth Foster, RN, BA, CPHQ, CEHCH

If Home Health Agencies want to bill claims in January then you need to read this article!

YOU HAVE LESS THAN A WEEK TO COMPLY!!!

Home Health Agencies (HHAs) need access to the upgraded Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) to submit assessment data beginning January 1. CMS will return claims that cannot be matched to assessments, delaying your Medicare payments. Please note that failure to obtain access to iQIES by December 23rd will impact your agencies’ ability to submit assessment data needed for claims matching purposes after January 1, 2020. See the MLN Connects Special Edition article SE 19025 for: Background, Step-by-step instructions, Training videos, FAQs, and How to get help.

Avoid Payment Delays, Register for iQIES by December 23 –  ACT NOW!

 Beth Foster, RN, BA, CPHQ, CEHCH

PDGM Updates

OCHCH Members: Thank you very much for participating in OCHCH’s December 10th PDGM WEEKLY CALL!

OPERATION: tackle PDGM

The OCHCH campaign to support your agency’s PDGM needs is up and running!

The second OCHCH Weekly PDGM Conference Call is(was) TODAY – Tuesday, DECEMBER 17, 2019 at 3pm!

We will not be scheduling any calls during the holidays. This means that the first 2020 Weekly PDGM Conference Call will be on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 3pm.

Regulatory Updates

• HOME HEALTH and HOSPICE: House Approves Health Workplace Violence Prevention Legislation, NAHC Report, December 11, 2019
• HOSPICE: Hospice Provider Preview Reports Now Available, CMS, December 16, 2019
• HOME HEALTH: MedPAC Staff Recommend 7 Percent Cut in Medicare Payment to Home Health Providers, NAHC Report, December 11, 2019
• HOME HEALTH: CMS Releases Info on New Home Infusion Therapy Benefit, NAHC Report, December 13, 2019
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: January 2020, Quarterly Release Temporary Hold, Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: eServices MBI Be Prepared!, Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) Lookup Tool, Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: eServices MBI Be Prepared!, Palmetto GBA – This flyer includes information and reminders about using MBIs in eServices. Please review this information and share it with your staff.
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) Lookup Tool, Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Home Health and Hospice (HH&H) Medicare Quarterly Updates, Changes and Reminders Webcast Will Be Held on December 19 at 2 p.m. , Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Ask the Contractor Teleconferences’ (ACTs) Questions and Answers: October 22, 2019 are now available, Palmetto GBA
• HOSPICE and HOME HEALTH: Hospice and Home Health Claims Processing Issues Log, Palmetto GBA

News

• PALLIATIVE CARE: California’s Palliative Care Rule a Potential Foundation for National Model, Hospice News, December 11, 2019
• HOSPICE: More Deaths Now Occur in Homes than Hospitals, Nursing Facilities, Hospcie News, December 16, 2019