You should cast a sharp eye on any hospice claims you submit with a primary diagnosis of Alzheimer's, dementia, failure to thrive, or debility -- because your MAC is going to.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, one of hospices' top denial reasons was for terminal prognosis, HHH MAC NHIC said in its March Hospice POE Advisory Group Meeting. Slow-declining diagnoses such as those listed above were most common in the denials, NHIC said according to the meeting minutes.