CMS is moving forward with plans to expand its Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) to California home health agencies, with implementation targeted for January 18, 2027. CMS is expanding the demonstration in response to Medicare fraud concerns in California. The RCD is a Medicare initiative designed… Read More »California Next in CMS’s Review Choice Demonstration Expansion
Accurate documentation of Section N0415 in OASIS is essential for identifying patients taking high-risk medications, guiding patient education on medication-related risks, and ensuring these risks are addressed in the plan of care. Common documentation gaps in this section can compromise patient safety, create compliance risks… Read More »OASIS N0415 High-Risk Drug Classes: Common Documentation Deficiencies
The FY 2027 ICD-10-CM code set takes effect October 1, 2026, bringing changes to diagnosis codes and coding guidelines that home health coders need to be prepared for. This year’s update includes 190 new codes, 30 deleted codes, and 4 revised code descriptions. Below is… Read More »ICD-10 Update Effective October 1, 2026: What You Need to Know
M1850 assesses the patient’s current ability to move safely from bed to chair, or, if the patient is bedfast, the ability to turn or position themselves in bed at the time of the assessment. M1850 is a common area of error and inconsistency in the… Read More »Practical Tips for Assessing and Answering OASIS M1850
The July 2026 OASIS Quarterly Q&As was released this week and include two important clarifications that supersede guidance currently found in the OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual. CMS reminds agencies that OASIS guidance may be updated or refined over time. When new guidance supersedes previous instructions, agencies… Read More »2 New Instructions Supersede Previous OASIS-E2 Guidance (July 2026 OASIS Q&A)
OASIS and coding are completed through different processes, but both describe the same patient. When they are aligned, the record more accurately reflects the patient’s condition, functional limitations, and need for skilled home health services. When they are not, inconsistencies can lead to questions and… Read More »OASIS and Coding: Making the Connection
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the CY 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule, offering an early look at the changes that could affect home health agencies beginning January 1, 2027. While the proposed rule includes a… Read More »Breaking Down the 2027 Home Health Proposed Rule
Visit frequency is one of the most scrutinized elements of the Home Health Plan of Care (POC). An inappropriate frequency can compromise patient outcomes, lead to medical review concerns, payment issues, and inconsistencies across documentation. Establishing and maintaining a well-supported frequency requires more than simply… Read More »Home Health Visit Frequency: Documentation Tips and Best Practices
M1033 – Risk for Hospitalization helps identify home health patients who may be at a higher risk of being hospitalized. Because this item influences care planning and risk adjustment, it is important to ensure that every selected response is supported by the assessment and follows… Read More »5 Common Mistakes in M1033 Documentation
M1033 – Risk for Hospitalization is an OASIS-E item presented as a checklist of clinical and behavioral risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization during the home health episode of care. Clinicians are instructed to review each risk factor and select all responses… Read More »M1033 Quick Guide for Clinicians
