Home Health & Hospice Week
Buckle Up For More Notice of Admission Errors
Plus: MAC explains how to deal with patients who switched out of MA plans without agencies’ knowledge. The Zip code-related processing glitch that’s holding up home health Notices of Admission has a fix in sight — but not until next month. The error is causing electronically submitted NOAs to “incorrectly return to provider with reason code 32114” when their Zip codes are stripped, HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor Palmetto GBA confirms in its claim processing issue log. The HHH MACs have offered a manual workaround (see HCW, Vol. XXXI, No. 2). HHAs will have to wait a couple of more weeks for a resolution. “A proposed fix is scheduled for implementation on February 2, 2022,” Palmetto reports. Meanwhile, Palmetto has offered guidance on another confusing NOA area in a 31-question Frequently Asked Questions set. Question: “Is there any guidance about billing for an exception to the late NOA penalty when we find out the beneficiary had switched from a [Medicare Advantage] plan to Original Medicare after the fact?” the FAQ reads. Answer: “Yes,” Palmetto responds. “Since Original Medicare begins as of the first visit after the MA enrollment period ends, the NOA will need to be billed with the date of the first visit under Original Medicare, and all visits from that point are billed to Original Medicare.” Palmetto offers further guidance. “In cases where the HHA does not find out the beneficiary had disenrolled from their MA plan until well after the fact, or until the HHA gets a denial from the MA plan, the NOA should be submitted as soon as possible. The corresponding period of care claim is then billed with the KX modifier and the following statement in Remarks: ‘CR12256 disenroll MA XX/XX/XXXX.’ The XX/XX/XXXX date should be the day the MA coverage ended, e.g., ‘CR12256 disenroll MA 12/31/2021.’” Note: Palmetto’s FAQs are at www.palmettogba.com/palmetto/providers.nsf/files/Home_Health_Notice_of_Admission_NOA_Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQ.pdf/$FILE/Home_Health_Notice_of_Admission_NOA_Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQ.pdf.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- COVID-19:
Vaccination Mandates In Effect As Providers Wait On SCOTUS Ruling
HH, hospice agencies in dire need of definitive guidance, reps stress. UPDATE: On Jan. 13, [...] - Compliance:
Follow These 13 Tips To Ace Vax Mandate Exemption Requirements
Requests must include specific vaccine and contraindication info from physicians, CMS instructs. UPDATE: On Jan. [...] - Resources:
Get Your Vaccination Details Here
The clock is ticking. UPDATE: On Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Centers [...] - Surveys & Certification:
What To Expect From Surveyors On Exemption Review
Surveyors should be examining process, not content, guidance indicates. UPDATE: On Jan. 13, the U.S. [...] - Notices Of Admission:
Buckle Up For More Notice of Admission Errors
Plus: MAC explains how to deal with patients who switched out of MA plans without [...] - Industry Notes:
Hospices Should Be Double-Billing For Medicare Carve-In Patients
Duplicate notices and claims hold even for out-of-area plans. As if hospices don’t have enough [...] - Industry Notes:
The Coast Is Clear To Resubmit Incorrectly Returned 31755 Claims, MAC Advises
Don’t miss your chance to get your rightful reimbursement on incorrectly returned claims. The problem: [...] - Industry Notes:
Medicare's HOPE Tool Contractor Is Recruiting For Another Round Of Beta Testing
If you missed out on your chance last summer to sign up to test drive [...] - Industry Notes:
Staffing Shortage Contributes To Nonprofit HHA's Closure In Ohio
Not-for-profit GentleBrook Home Health Services in Coshocton, Ohio, will shut down March 31. Hospice of [...] - Industry Notes:
Now Is A Good Time To Review EEOC's Definition Of Retaliation
Employers can terminate employees for nondiscriminatory reasons, but if terminating an employee is the direct [...]
