Home Health & Hospice Week
Be Ready To Jump On Subunit Conversion Instructions
Converted subunit surveys to get bumped up. Home health agencies hoping Medicare would give them extra time to comply with the new CoPs' requirement to convert subunits to either freestanding agencies or branches have had their hopes dashed. In the Nov. 15 Home Health Open Door Forum, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official explained that instructions for converting subunits would be out by the end of the week, and agencies would have to comply by the January implementation deadline. Big change: HHAs who want to convert subunits to freestanding agencies will have to appoint a new separate administrator and governing body for the converted agency, the CMS representative explained. Agencies will not be able to share administrators or governing bodies, the CMS source confirmed in the question-and-answer portion of the forum. If you fail to notify your state survey agency or your HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor of your preference in converting your subunit, the surveyors and MAC will assume you are converting the subunit to a freestanding agency, the official said. Surveyors won't rush out and survey every converted subunit immediately in January to see whether they are meeting freestanding agency requirements, the rep said. But they will "move up" surveys of subunits in hopes of having all those types of surveys completed in the next year or so, she told forum attendees. Remember:With alternative sanctions such as payment suspensions and civil money penalties now available to surveyors, even somewhat minor survey infractions can cost you dearly. Stay tuned: Instructions for filing the paperwork for your subunit conversion will be in the memo expected by Nov. 17, CMS said.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Prospective Payment System:
2018 Final Rule Ramps Up HH QRP Burden, Despite Dropped OASIS Items
Section GG to expand. Get ready to put some serious resources into OASIS education and [...] - Quality:
Say Hello To 7 New Quality Measures In Next Few Years
Protests against falls measure fell short. While pressing concerns ranging from new Conditions of Participation [...] - Quality:
Brace For New Quality Measures To Come In These Areas
Cognitive function measures are on the horizon. Home health agencies may have gotten a reprieve [...] - Regulations:
Find OASIS, HH QRP Changes Here
Use this handy change table Medicare provides. Confused about which OASIS and HH QRP requirements [...] - OASIS:
2018 Is The Last Year You Must Collect These OASIS Data Items
Data Items Caution: Some items will be only partially gone. The Centers for Medicare & [...] - Survey & Certification:
Be Ready To Jump On Subunit Conversion Instructions
Converted subunit surveys to get bumped up. Home health agencies hoping Medicare would give them [...] - Compliance:
Are You Covering These 6 HR Bases?
Tip: 50 or more employees means FMLA applies to you. You may have a very [...] - Make The Most Of Your Eli's Home Care Week Subscription
You have more than a decade's worth of information on a multitude of home health [...] - Mergers & Acquisitions:
LHC, Almost Family Merge
Market consolidation on a large scale announced. Two of the original "Big Four" publicly traded [...] - Industry Note:
Wait A Bit Longer For Hospice Compare Update
New data refresh bumped to next month. Hospices aren't the only ones having adjustment difficulties [...] - Industry Note:
Pharma Exec New HHS Secretary Nominee
Following Tom Price's resignation as Department of Health & Human Services Secretary, President Trump has [...] - Industry Note:
Heed New Therapy Cap
For home health agencies that furnish outpatient Part B therapy in the home, therapy caps [...] - Industry Note:
Diabetes Program Expands
Your patients might benefit from a provision in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule [...] - Industry Note:
11-State Chain Makes Buy
The Ensign Group's home health and hospice subsidiary, Cornerstone Healthcare Inc., has acquired the assets [...] - Industry Note:
Agency Faces $4.5M Repay
Personal Touch Home Care of Ohio owes the state $4.5 million in Medicaid overpayments, Ohio [...] - Industry Note:
Prep For Electronic NOEs
The Jan. 2 start date for submitting Notices of Election electronically is getting closer, and [...]
