Compliance:
Take These Steps To Head Off PECOS Disaster
Published on Wed Jun 02, 2010
You might have to discharge 40% of your patients. If the feds persist in enforcing the new PECOS rule so abruptly, 20 to 40 percent of home health agency patients could require discharge. So warns the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. NAHC is working closely with congressional staff to find a resolution to the Medicare Provider Enrollment Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) problem, it says (see related story, p. 186). Right now, "NAHC is not advising providers to discharge patients whose physicians are not in the PECOS record," the trade group tells members. "We believe that a solution will be found shortly," advises William Dombi, NAHC's vice president for law. In the meantime, HHAs can follow these steps to address the PECOS problem, NAHC and the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice say: • Validate your referring physicians' PECOS information with CMS's physician PECOS file. You can access [...]