Home Health & Hospice Week
Half Of Docs Spend Less Than A Minute Reviewing 485
A new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers underscores what many home care providers have known for a long time - ordering physicians spend way less time on home care duties than they should. The researchers surveyed a nationally random sample of physicians. "Of 1,005 respondents who provided patient care... (n)early half (47 percent) reported spending less than 1 minute reviewing the CMS-485 before certification, whereas 21 percent reported spending at least 2 minutes," according to the study published in the most recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Furthermore: "Physicians typically interacted with multiple [skilled home health care] agencies by fax or mail. Approximately 80 percent rarely or never changed an order on the CMS-485, and 78.3 percent rarely or never contacted SHHC clinicians with questions about information." The study authors concluded that "the CMS-485 does not meaningfully engage physicians. Physicians spend little time reviewing or acting on the SHHC plan of care." The researchers urged that "strategies to enhance meaningful communication between SHHC agencies and physicians are needed." A link to the article and free abstract is at http://annals.org/aim.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- OASIS:
Submit Your OASIS-D Suggestions Before It's Too Late
Comment early and often. If you think Medicare needs to change some things about the [...] - Managed Care:
Watch For Business Opportunities As Medicare Allows MA Plans To Cover Aide Services
Key: Help show that aide services will 'reduce avoidable emergency and healthcare utilization.' Exactly how [...] - Regulations:
Stark Law Fate Uncertain, CMS Administrator Indicates
Will a decades-long prohibition on physician referrals and ownership get the ax? Home care and [...] - Medical Review:
Pay Attention To Midstream TPE Education
Improving your billing rate in the middle of a Targeted Probe & Educate round could [...] - Diagnosis Coding:
Stop Using ICD-9 As A Coding Crutch
Remember, you won't get any more GEMs. Question: I often find myself coding ICD-9 in [...] - Industry Note:
MACs Get Marching Orders To Reprocess Rural Add-On Claims
Remember: This is the last year of a full add on under BBA 18. As [...] - Industry Note:
Share These Recert Estimate Tips With Your Docs
Are you risking denials with records that include an insufficient physician recertification estimate - or [...] - Industry Note:
Half Of Docs Spend Less Than A Minute Reviewing 485
A new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers underscores what many home care providers have [...] - Industry Note:
View HIS Coding, HQRP Training At Your Leisure
Help for hospices is now available from Medicare in a number of new educational offerings. [...] - Industry Note:
New Quality Measure Aims To ID Problem Discharges
Now's your chance to comment on a new quality measure Medicare is readying to address [...] - Make The Most Of Your Eli's Home Care Week Subscription
You have 15 years' worth of information on a multitude of home health topics at [...] - Industry Note:
Double-Check Who Is Signing Your Cost Reports
Some newly announced changes for home health agency cost reports may alter how you submit [...] - Industry Note:
Massive Merger Of LHC, Almost Family Complete
Two publicly traded chains, LHC Group Inc. and Almost Family Inc., have completed their merger. [...] - Industry Note:
Private Duty Chain Addus Makes Major Acquisition
Private duty chain Addus HomeCare Corp. has purchased the assets of Arcadia Home Care & [...] - Industry Note:
Updated Hospice PEPPER Reports Out Soon
Get ready for an update to the free benchmarks Medicare provides you through the PEPPER [...]
