Home Health & Hospice Week

• Don't forget you have only until Dec. 31 to submit claims with dates of service from Oct. 1, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2009, RHHI Cahaba GBA says in its September newsletter for providers.

Claims after that will be subject to the new stricter one-year filing deadline, Cahaba notes. For HHA claims and hospice claims, that counts from the "through" date on the claim.

For example: "A claim submitted with a 'From' date of 10/01/10, and a 'Through' date of 10/31/10, must be received by 10/31/11," it says.

The one-year deadline also applies to hospice add-on bills (type of bill 815 or 825), but not hospice notices of election, Cahaba adds.