Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Physicians who certify patients for home health care were seeking more help with what their cert form should include — and CMS has delivered with a new document entitled “Progress Note Guidance.”

The form, which the agency debuted last month, gives physicians specific questions to answer and guidelines to follow to ensure that the home health certification goes smoothly. Doctors are not required to use the form, but it can help them keep track of all of the required elements.

As most practices are aware, the face-to-face encounter must take place “no more than 90 days prior to the home health start of care date or within 30 days of the start of home health care,” and must be related to the primary reason the patient needs home health services.

Resource: To access and print the new form, visit http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewIC?ref_nbr=201512-0938-012&icID=219423. Then click on “Progress Note and Guidance” under the column marked “form name.”