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Home Health & Hospice Week

Industry Notes:

Palmetto Offers New Falls Risk Code To Help Agencies Spot Problems

Published on Tue Aug 18, 2009

If you know whether your patients are at risk for falls, you can avoid them -- but first you need a code that calls attention to the problem. Good idea: Currently, routinely evaluating beneficiaries for their risk of falls isn't covered by Medicare -- but regional home health intermediary Palmetto GBA wants to change that. The RHHI has included V15.88 (history of falls) in the final Part A rule to help agencies better  pinpoint when a patient would benefit from physical or occupational therapy to cut down on falls. Payment: Claims containing V15.88 will still  need another covered ICD-9-CM code to specify the type of impairment or limitation causing the increased risk of falls. However, tacking on that V18.55 will help communicate what coverage is available and ensure your patients get the help they need.
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