Home Health & Hospice Week

You should have until at least October before you have to worry about switching Home Health Advance Beneficiary Notice forms. A new ABN form was required in April 2011, not April 2012 as reported in last week's Eli's Home Care Week. The current ABN form has an expiration date of October 2012.

Looking for answers to more ABN questions? Try HHH MAC NHIC's list of 22 questions and answers from its Home Health Advance Bene-ficiary Notice Teleconference held Feb. 9.

For example: It's fine to just write "ostomy supplies" when using an ABN for supplies, NHIC says. "You do not need to list all the individual supplies included in the group," the MAC says. "Provide an estimate of the supplies needed monthly."

You can see the FAQs, which include questions about using frequencies and ranges on the forms, at www.medicarenhic.com/RHHI/billing/QAHHABN020912.pdf.