Home Health & Hospice Week

Educate, educate, educate. The face-to-face encounter rule isn't going away, and that means home care providers need to get a grip on this slippery requirement -- the sooner the better. Use these expert tips to help you come into compliance by the April 1 enforcement date: • Educate physicians. You can't spend enough time educating docs, both before and after the enforcement date, experts agree. "Spread the word," urges consultant Maur-een M. Corcoran of Vorys Health Care Advisors in Columbus, Ohio. "Inform, educate and remind ... all providers that you come in contact with about the change in regulations." Don't stop with just the requirements, Corcoran says. Be sure to tell physicians about the consequences of non-compliance -- "the delays or denial that may occur if there isn't correct assessment information." One-on-one meetings seem to be the most effective for educating physicians and their staff, observes Chicago, Ill.-based consultant Rebecca [...]