Maintaining a consistent cash flow is crucial for home health agencies amidst challenges brought by Medicare payment cuts, regulatory changes, and shifts in the payer mix among agencies. A fundamental aspect of achieving this goal is ensuring that claims are not rejected. Rejected claims can… Read More »The Impact of Rejected Claims on Your Time and Money
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a set batch of quarterly OASIS Q&As. It features inquiries received by their help desk from the second quarter after the introduction of OASIS-E and the conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in May.… Read More »Out Now: New OASIS Q&As
Last July 21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first official round of Interim Performance Reports (IPR) in the iQIES system. These reports contain data that will determine agencies’ future Medicare rates under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. They… Read More »Understanding the Interim Performance Reports for HHVBP
A recently released 2023 benchmarking report from Home Care Pulse provided valuable insights into the growth areas and staffing crisis in the home healthcare industry. The report is based on a survey of roughly 92,000 home healthcare professionals. Ongoing Staffing Challenges Home health and hospice… Read More »New Data: Staffing and Growth Areas in Home Health
The home healthcare industry is showing strong growth and business potential, as indicated by the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report. In June, the sector added 9,000 new jobs, suggesting the increasing demand for home health services. This growth signifies the industry’s ability to… Read More »Growth in Home Healthcare Employment
On June 30, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its FY 2024 proposed payment rule for home health services. One important change is that they are proposing a 2.2% reduction in the total home health payments, which amounts to approximately $375… Read More »Key Takeaways: 2024 Home Health Proposed Payment Rule
Discharge planning and documentation significantly influence patient outcomes and quality reporting by demonstrating the impact of home health services on patient progress. Home health organizations should start planning for a patient’s discharge from the beginning of the care, even during the initial intake. This helps… Read More »How to Improve Discharge Planning and Documentation
During the COVID-19 pandemic and following the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), home health agencies faced considerable challenges managing Low-Utilization Payment Adjustments (LUPAs). Although some successfully adopted strategies to reduce LUPAs, many agencies continue to struggle. Current LUPA Landscape According to data from… Read More »How to Address the Ongoing LUPA Challenges
Conducting the Initial Therapy Evaluation There are two objectives to fulfill when conducting the initial therapy evaluation: 1) emphasize that skilled therapy services are medically necessary, and 2) identify the specific areas to focus on during succeeding patient visits. Obtaining approval from the certifying physician… Read More »Enhancing Home Health Therapy Documentation Practices
Face-to-face (F2F) encounters are required to certify a patient’s eligibility for Medicare home health benefits. Face-to-face (F2F) documentation compliance has been a persistent challenge for numerous home health agencies, as it remains a leading cause of Medicare home health claim denials. The guidelines for F2F… Read More »Reviewing the Fundamentals of F2F Compliance
