Eli's Hospice Insider

CMS, NAHC, and others offer free guidance for cash- and time-strapped agencies.

1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a new MLN Matters article reviewing the requirement at www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE1038.pdf.

2. CMS also posted a new FFE frequently asked question list for HHAs. A link to the FAQs is on CMS's HHA page at www.cms.gov/center/hha.asp -- scroll down under "Spotlights" to the Dec. 22 post.

3. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice is offering numerous helpful documents about the FFE requirement for HHAs and hospices, including FAQs and 10 model letters and tools, at www.nahc.org/regulatory/home.html -- scroll down to the FFE sections.

4. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has posted a list of FAQs at www.nhpco.org/files/public/regulatory/FAQs_Face-to-Face_v2.pdf.

5. Read the regulatory language itself in the PPS final rule for 2011, published in the Nov. 17 Federal Register. The FFE section starts on p. 57 of the pdf file at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-27778.pdf.

6. The Home Care Association for New Jersey is offering a number of FFE tools including a FFE documentation guide for physicians at www.homecarenj.org/public/HealthCareEncounterTools.html.