Home Health & Hospice Week
Case Study: Hospital Uses Home Care To Curb Readmissions
Medicare’s new payment system for hospitals, which penalizes them for high readmission rates, is motivating another hospital to turn to home health for help with the problem.
Dickinson County Healthcare System in Iron Mountain, Mich., is providing one free follow-up home visit to at-risk patients discharged from Dickinson County Memorial Hospital, reports the Iron Mountain Daily News. A nurse from Dickinson Home Health will spend about one hour in the patient’s home reviewing and reconciling patient medications, assessing the home environment for basic safety concerns, providing information for referrals to outside agencies that may be of benefit to the patient, and answering any concerns the patient may have once he or she has arrived home from the hospital, the newspaper says.
"The nurse does not provide any kind of skilled care," home health manager Tina Zarcone told the DCHS Board of Trustees at a recent meeting. "This home visit is designed to help transition the patient more fully back home and to help guarantee he or she has all the information needed to remain safely at home through their recuperative process."
Criteria the hospital will use to determine eligibility for the follow-up visit includes the patient’s age, functional limitations, physical impairments, changes in medication, fall risks, and more, the News says.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Budget:
U.S. President Wants Cuts To HHA Payments Next Year
Hospices generally get a pass in White House budget for 2014. As the opening salvo [...] - Edits:
HHAs Getting Up To Speed On Physician PECOS Requirements
Be sure you’re on top of these costly edits before they hit May 1. If [...] - Reimbursement:
System Glitch Leaves HHAs Hanging
Claims system problem reminds agencies to always be prepared. Without reimbursement coming in the door, [...] - Quality:
Tap This Resource For Quality Assistance
CMS Quality Improvement Organizations can help you improve care and reduce costs.
Do you [...] - Industry Note:
Improvement Standard One Step Closer To Getting The Boot
Medicare issues fact sheet following lawsuit settlement overturning policy.
Medicare contractors that have [...] - Industry Note:
Use These Instructions For Billing With Diagnosis Codes When ICD-10 Hits
Not sure how to handle diagnosis codes on claims that span the Oct. 1, 2014 [...] - Industry Note:
OIG Shines Spotlight On Miami Home Health Fraud Once Again
The HHS Office of Inspector General is trumpeting its success with its HEAT initiative in [...] - Industry Note:
Keep Medicare Timely Filing In Mind For Former Hospice Late Claims
Hold up on submitting those hospice late bills. "Hospice add-on claims (also known as late [...] - Industry Note:
Follow This Procedure When Patient Won't Sign ABN
Does your agency have to be on the hook if a patient refuses to sign [...] - Industry Note:
Case Study: Hospital Uses Home Care To Curb Readmissions
Medicare’s new payment system for hospitals, which penalizes them for high readmission rates, is motivating [...] - Industry Note:
D.C. HHA Owner Guilty
A former HHA owner in the nation’s capital has pled guilty to creating fake patient [...] - Industry Note:
Excluded Staff Lead To Ohio HHA Owner's Guilty Plea
An HHA owner in Ohio has pled guilty to Medicare fraud. Divyesh "David" C. Patel, [...] - Industry Note:
Providers Plan To Build More Hospice Houses
The number of the nation’s hospice inpatient facilities continues to grow. In Bonita, Calif., Sharp [...]
