Home Health & Hospice Week

In the holiday rush, don't forget to make sure your referring physicians start dating their signatures on their orders and plans of care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "no longer will allow medical reviewers to accept physician signatures with dates stamped by the home health agency or fax dates from the provider," Home Health Medicare Administrative Contractor NHIC says on its website. "The physician must sign and date their signature. This change is effective January 1, 2011 and supersedes any previous instructions."