Home Health & Hospice Week

Your documentation specifics will be the key to proving that a post-hospital-discharge patient requires observation and assessment for the three weeks following discharge, even if complications never materialize. So says HHH Medicare Admini-strative Contractor NHIC in a recently posted question-and-answer set.

The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual says, "Where a patient was admitted to home health care for skilled observation because there was a reasonable potential of a complication or further acute episode, but did not develop a further acute episode or complication, the skilled observation services are still covered for 3 weeks or so long as there remains a reasonable potential for such a complication or further acute episode," NHIC points out in its recently posted Q&A from its "Improve Your Home Health Nursing Documentation" educational session held June 25.

"Including information regarding the history of the patient’s condition can help support the need for continued observation and assessment services," NHIC explains. "For example, including information that the patient had required ventilation and had difficulty being weaned from the ventilator would help support the patient may require continued observation services."

Don’t forget to show that you furnished a skilled service, NHIC adds. "This includes documentation of skilled nursing observations as well as any teaching provided or other skilled service provided," the MAC says at www.medicarenhic.com/RHHI/billing/QAHHealth062513.pdf.