Home Health & Hospice Week

 Cozy up to G-codes and modifiers for tracking patient status, goals and severity level.

 If you haven’t already, you’ll need to get up-to-speed on functional status reporting pronto -- specifically, by Jan. 1, 2013. You must report functional limitation G-codes and the severity-level modifiers on outpatient therapy claims forms at admission, every 10 treatment days and at discharge.

 Important reminder: Although this new requirement does not apply to home health therapy services, it does apply to any outpatient Part B therapy services provided by and billed through an HHA provider number, clarifies the National Association for Home Care & Hospice

If you don’t report patient status by July 1, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may begin denying payment. Here are two handy tables to help you remember these codes and modifiers.