Eli's Hospice Insider

Published on Wed Jul 20, 2016 PDF

Are you using items from this list suggested by one MAC?

You can’t afford to support General Inpatient care with skimpy documentation when the service is on the top of medical reviewers’ hit lists.

Consider these potential pain and symptom situations justifying GIP care listed by HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor National Government Services in a training session:

Pain requiring complicated technical delivery of medication requiring an RN for calibration, tubing changes, or site care;
Pain requiring frequent evaluation by physician/nurse;
Pain requiring aggressive treatment for control;
Pain requiring frequent medication adjustment;
Sudden deterioration requiring intensive nursing intervention;
Uncontrolled nausea and vomiting;
Pathologic fractures;
Respiratory distress which becomes unmanageable;
Open lesions requiring frequent skilled care;
Traction and frequent repositioning requiring more than one staff member;
Complex wound care requiring complex dressing changes;
Severe agitated delirium or acute anxiety or depression secondary to the end-stage disease process requiring extensive intervention;
Imminent death, but only if it requires skilled nursing care for pain or symptom management. “Imminent death without a need for aggressive symptom management is not a reason for GIP,” NGS stresses.