Home Health & Hospice Week

Question: What is required for the physician signature regarding face-to-face encounter rules?

Answer: Look to a new frequently asked question from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the answer to this commonly asked question. "One physician signature suffices if the face-toface encounter documentation is co-located with the physician's certification of eligibility," CMS says in FAQ # 10633 posted in May. "Otherwise, if the face-to-face documentation is attached as an addendum to the certification (a separate document), the face-to-face documentation and certification each require a signature. Electronic signatures are acceptable."

Note: The FAQ is at http://questions.cms.hhs.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/10633.