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OASIS Alert

Diagnosis Coding:
The Latest Word On The Home Health CVA Coding Exception
Another wrinkle appears in stroke coding. If you've been wondering what happens to the str... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ...Education:
Know Your Numbers Before Calculating SCICs
Question: When you are calculating reimbursement for a significant change in condition, ho... Read more
Coding Corrections:
Mistakes Happen - But They Don't Have To Cost You
December could be your last chance to claim the money you've earned.If you have coding err... Read more
Assessment:
Another Unneeded Assessment Bites The Dust
Agencies spoke and the feds listened. Providers - especially agencies that use OASIS for a... Read more
Therapy:
Don't Underestimate What Your Therapist Can Contribute
Therapy can bring you more than extra dollars. If your patients or physicians resist occup... Read more
Reimbursement:
Never Walk Away From Money You've EarnedMoney You've Earned
Taking a few steps doesn't equal ambulation. Misunderstanding M0700 (ambulation) can cost ... Read more
Training:
4 Steps To Improved M0700 Accuracy
Direct your clinicians' attention to these crucial assessment questions. Combining ob... Read more
OBQI:
Keeping Employees Focused Improves Agency Outcomes
Treating all employees the same may be sabotaging your results. If you want better outcom... Read more
PPS:
Duplicate Claims Slow Your Cash Flow
Providing care is only half the battle - you also need to get paid for it. You could be th... Read more
OASIS News:
Don't Worry About Mid-Year Coding ChangesDon't Worry About Mid-Year Coding Changes
Rumors have been flying of rapid coding changes beginning in 2005.If you budgeted for new ... Read more
Reader Question:
If You're Not Playing Poker, Can A Flush Count?
Hundreds of dollars hang in the balance. Question: We have a number of patients who have I... Read more
Reimbursement:
MASTER M0250 TO GAIN UP TO $600 PER EPISODE
Understand the dos and don'ts.OASIS question M0250 is a key assessment item that affects y... Read more
Education:
TRANSFER FOLLOWED BY DISCHARGE CAUSES OASIS CONFUSION: Test Your OASIS Savvy
Consider this scenario: You care for a home health patient for several weeks, but then the... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
DON'T LET ARTHRITIS CODES CRAMP YOUR COMPLIANCE
You may be using the coding manual incorrectly. To protect your agency from fraud charges,... Read more
Compliance:
BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES FOR MORE OIG PROBES
Here's what you can do to protect your agency under heightened federal scrutiny. Home heal... Read more
Case Mix:
ANALYZE YOUR CASE MIX DISTRIBUTION TO SEE WHERE YOU'RE LOSING MONEY
Bonus: You can head off denials too. Your case mix distribution provides a window into you... Read more
Therapy:
PT IS NOT THE ONLY THERAPY THAT COUNTS
Focusing on therapy can improve your case mix - and your cash flow. Incorporating occupati... Read more
Risk Management:
IF YOU INCREASE THERAPY USE, DO IT RIGHT
Immunize against intermediary scrutiny. It may seem risky to increase therapy use. But if ... Read more
OASIS News:
2005 CODES: CAUTION REQUIRED
Now that the new 2005 ICD-9 diagnosis codes are in effect - and with no grace period to ma... Read more
Reader Question:
EASE THE OASIS BURDEN ON NURSES AND PTs
Question: Our agency continues to collect OASIS data on all patients, but does not transmi... Read more
Reimbursement:
Claims Opportunity Knocks One Last Time - Make Sure You Answer
Avoid mistakes in the 3 areas that plague most HHAs.Time is running out. Payers may owe yo... Read more
SCIC:
Don't Routinely Claim SCICs - Or Your Profits Will Suffer
If you find significant changes in condition confusing, you're not alone - and your agency... Read more
Prospective Payment System:
Do The Math Before Claiming A SCIC
Follow these 8 steps to ensure you receive the payment you deserve. You could plug a subst... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Choosing The Wrong Stroke Code Will Disrupt Cash Flow
Warning: Coding a CVA isn't as easy as it used to be.Expect coding confusion and denied cl... Read more
OBQI:
Get A Jump On These 2 Upcoming Quality Measures
MedPAC turns its aim to home health.Agencies soon will face an array of new quality measur... Read more
Survey & Certification:
Agencies' Protests Lead To Assessment Clarification
Five-day window has some flexibility.New rules mean you no longer need to struggle to fit ... Read more
OASIS News:
October Brings Important OASIS Changes
You may not be getting the usual home health payment update until January, but there are p... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Let Intractable Pain Hurt Your OASIS Accuracy
Question: Our agency is trying to improve accuracy in answering M0420 and M0430. We had pl... Read more
Case Mix:
Wound Care Payments Will Drop For Agencies That Followed The OLD Rules
It's time to re-train clinicians - again. Once again CMS dumps a sudden change on home hea... Read more
Assessment:
'No' On M0440 Is Probably Wrong
So what is a skin lesion? If you mark M0440 "no," you might want to examine the patient mo... Read more
Wound Assessment:
Visualize New Pressure Ulcer Coding
If your clinicians aren't sure what to do with the new reverse staging of pressure ulcers,... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Use E Codes To Solve Trauma Code Problems
If you've ever wondered whether to bother with E codes, here's a good reason why you shoul... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ...
Question: If you're answering activities of daily living questions and the patient was in ... Read more
Documentation:
Linking Paychecks To Timely Documentations Works - But It's Risky
Experts suggest better ways to get those assessments in on time. Late paperwork can cost y... Read more
OASIS News:
Find Answers To Your OASIS Questions All In One Place
The answers you've been looking for are back. A valuable resource is ready to download.The... Read more
Reader Question:
When Does Trouble Walking Equal Abnormality of Gait?
Q: I was told you could only code for "Abnormality of Gait" for a patient who has undergon... Read more
Compliance:
AGENCIES LOSE THOUSANDS IN DIAGNOSIS CODING DENIALS
Here's how to clear up coding confusion among clinicians. If you don't select the correct... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ...
True or False? Now that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy r... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
11 TIPS FOR AVOIDING HIPPS DOWNCODING
Strategies for accurate coding -- the first time. Don't throw up your hands in coding fru... Read more
Case Study:
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PATIENT EDUCATION TO BOOST YOUR OUTCOMES
Here's how one agency decreased hospital readmission rates. Hospital readmissions can hur... Read more
OBQI :
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT HOME HEALTH COMPARE LATELY?
Rest on your laurels and you'll lose ground. Home Health Compare -- now nearing the end o... Read more
Benchmarking:
AVERAGE IS GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO UTILIZATION DATA
Be ready to justify deviations. Even though the government's utilization data is five mon... Read more
Reimbursement:
AVOID LOSING UP TO $600 ON EACH M0175 TAKEBACK
Confirm downcode appropriateness with 'APP DATE' field. You say you're not sure you can ... Read more
Utilization:
VISIT DATA FOR LAST SIX MONTHS OF 2003 PROVIDES BENCHMARKING OPPORTUNITY
Be prepared to explain why, if your utilization data differ significantly from other agenc... Read more
OASIS News:
THERAPY EXPANSION WILL COST AGENCIES
Yes, electromagnetic wound therapy can count as a therapy visit -- but there's a catch. Th... Read more
Reader Question:
CAN HOSPITALS RESTRICT YOUR ACCESS TO YOUR PATIENT'S CHART?
Q: During a home health episode, our patients sometimes are admitted to the hospital, but... Read more
Case Study:
IF M0420 IS CAUSING YOU PAIN, USE OBQI FOR RELIEF
One agency improved 11 percent in one year -- here's how you can too. When Washington-base... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ...:
DON'T OVERDO DISCHARGE ASSESSMENTS
One discharge assessment in an episode should be enough. True or False? When a patient's ... Read more
Outcomes:
5 TIPS FROM THE FRONT LINE FOR A SUCCESSFUL OBQI PROJECT
Surprise: Having a detailed plan is not one of them. Someone who wants to have everything ... Read more
OBQI:
DON'T LET M0690 GET YOU DOWN
The barrier may not be your clinical efforts after all. If you've had trouble showing impr... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
PREPARE NOW FOR THESE ICD-9 CODING CHANGES
Agencies must be ready by October 1 -- no exceptions allowed. Every year, just in time to ... Read more
Medical Review:
BE CERTAIN YOU RESPOND TO THIS LETTER
OASIS issues are high on the list for CERT focus. Just because you haven't heard of Advanc... Read more
Compliance:
ONE MINOR ERROR CAN COST YOU THE ENTIRE EPISODE PAYMENT
Think you should send in only one OASIS? Think again. CERT reviews are about to become mor... Read more
Reimbursement:
MISTAKES HAPPEN - HERE'S HOW TO CORRECT 3 OF THEM
Hint: Sometimes you may not need to do anything. A simple typo could mean your claim is re... Read more
OASIS News:
NEW RATES AND DATES AFFECT 2005 EPISODE PAYMENTS
Payment increase does not happen October 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servic... Read more
Reader Question:
DOES AFTERCARE DEPEND ON WHO IS DOING IT?
Q: Can we use aftercare V codes for therapists or are they only used for nurses? A: For b... Read more
Training:
Your Key To Financial Success Could Be Your OASIS Training Schedule
Do you know where to concentrate limited resources? If you aren't focusing a large part of... Read more
Compliance:
10 Tips To Avoid Downcoding
Documentation should be your best friend. Medical review costs an agency time and money --... Read more
Assessment:
What To Watch For With Two-For-One Assessments
Don't get caught in the therapy trap. You always knew it was silly -- now the Centers for ... Read more
OBQI:
Empower Field Staff To Help Improve Outcomes
Management-only OBQI is doomed to fail. Remember the old computer saying: "Garbage in -- g... Read more
Wound Care:
Here's One More Way To Meet The Therapy Threshold
And it begins next month. Agencies with well-equipped therapists may find it easier to say... Read more
OBQI:
Show Your Staff How Their Answers Lead To Outcomes
Before you decide to change care behavior, be sure you're answering the underlying questio... Read more
Reimbursement:
Finally - Help In Answering M0175 Accurately
Follow this path through the CWF. Just when you thought prior hospital stays would be hidd... Read more
Education:
Did You Deserve That Documentation Downcode?
Your FI may be wrong. Test Your OASIS Savvy ... Q: True or False: Fiscal intermediaries ma... Read more
Diagnosis Coding :
6 Steps To Error-Free Diagnosis Coding
Keep reimbursement thoughts out of diagnosis decisions. If your nurses are spending too mu... Read more
OASIS News:
Many Frequently Used HHRGs Are Money Losers
Of the top 10 home health resource groups, number crunching reveals five were profitable, ... Read more
Reader Question:
Are Patients With No Hospital Stay Not As Sick?
Inside the mind of CMS. Q: Do you know why M0175 works the way it does? Our agency doesn't... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ... - Education:
V Code Misunderstanding Can Cause Downcoding
Q: When a case-mix diagnosis is displaced from M0230 because of a V code and is put in M0... Read more
Prospective Payment System:
Therapy Use Goes Hand In Hand With Profitability
But beware: Not all high therapy use episodes are profitable. The correlation between hi... Read more
Survey & Certification:
Agency Confusion May Mean Survey Deficiencies
Watch out for this survey hotspot. If you thought the recent suspension of OASIS data c... Read more
Case Study:
If Your Agency Is Sinking, OASIS Is Your Lifeboat
Focusing on OASIS basics erased this agency's million-dollar operating deficit in one yea... Read more
Assessment:
6 Tips For Promoting Staff Ownership of OASIS
Use these strategies to improve accuracy. You can successfully change your staff's appro... Read more
Wound Care:
There's No Excuse For Ignorance About Wound Care Basics
Do you know as much as your surveyor does? Do you puzzle over when a wound is non-healin... Read more
Training:
3 Steps To Better Wound Healing
And how to know when wound healing isn't possible. Do you know why acute wounds and chro... Read more
OASIS News:
Use M0175 Edits To Your Advantage
Would you like to be able to dispel your uncertainty about the amount of money the feds wi... Read more
Assessment:
Don't Let Unnecessary OASIS Assessments Cut Into Profits
4 questions you can ask to predict the future. No clinician wants to complete an OASIS a... Read more
Test Your OASIS Savvy ...
Q: Is it acceptable for an agency to use per diem nurses to do recert assessments when re... Read more
Inservice Ideas:
10 New Ways To Add Spice To Your OASIS Training
If you're running out of ideas for new ways to keep staff interested in improving OASIS as... Read more
Reimbursement:
The Battle For M0175 Dollars Is About To Begin
Warning: Recoveries could cost you $14,000 You may deserve that extra $549.87 -- but cha... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
The ABCs Of Aftercare For Fracture Codes
Don't throw away money when using these codes. V codes, E codes, primary diagnoses, symp... Read more
Home Health Compare:
Find Out How You Stack Up In The First Public Comparison Update
But it's up to you to track progress over time. Frustrated with your initial results on ... Read more
Quality Improvement:
Home Health Agencies Raise The Bar
Even though your agency's results improved on the 11 quality measures publicized in Home H... Read more
Physician Certification:
Be Prepared For Docs' Reactions
Agencies may find doctors questioning them about why the Part B Carrier isn't paying the d... Read more
OASIS News:
Case Mix Readjustment Pressure ON
GOA, MedPAC and HHAs finally agree. In the General Accounting Office's Feb. 27 report to t... Read more
Education:
Beware This Common Assessment Strategy
Test Your Oasis Savvy...  Q: Is it acceptable for an agency to use per diem nurses to... Read more
Reader Question:
Be Specific With M0440 Policies
Q: The home health agency I work for requires clinicians to answer "Yes" to M0440 (Does t... Read more
Compliance:
Beware Of OIG Therapy Audits - They Can Cost You Thousands
Here's how to stay off the OIG's radar screen. It was only a matter of time before the e... Read more
Case Study:
One Agency Learned How To Bill Therapy Right The First Time
Use these field-tested tips for financial and clinical success. A Tennessee agency stopp... Read more
Outcomes:
Patients' Embarrassment Can Lead To Poor Agency Outcomes
It's up to you to break the silence. Don't underestimate bowel incontinence problems&nbs... Read more
Clip-N-Save:
Are You Struggling To Avoid Wound Care Downcoding?
An RHHI tells you how to prevent it. Avoid medical downcodes relating to wounds by using... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Conquer Claim Form Confusion
M0245 is a claim form oddball. If you thought something was missing from your claim form... Read more
Reimbursement:
No Help From The Feds - HHAs Will Pay For All M0175 Errors
You are left to do it the hard way, and it cost one agency $20,000. CMS is happy to avoi... Read more
Assessment:
Profit And Comply - Use These 4 Tips For M0175 Success
To receive the reimbursement you've earned - and stay ahead of the OIG - focus o... Read more
Reimbursement:
Mastering CWF Can Earn You A Bundle
It may seem like too much trouble, but checking the common working file could make a $200 ... Read more
Education:
How Good Are You At Identifying Leg Ulcers?
Q: For the OASIS assessment, is an arterial skin ulcer the same as a stasis ulcer? A: No.... Read more
News You Can Use:
Consider Carefully Before Putting ICD-9 Code 344.61 In M0230
If you don't have documentation to support case mix code 344.61, expect a denial, one RHHI... Read more
Reader Question:
Strict Coding Guidelines May Not Be Practical
Q. Help! I'm getting conflicting instructions. When you admit a patient to home care for a... Read more
Assessment:
When An ALF Is Home, Double-check OASIS Accuracy
Your quality measures may suffer if your clinicians don't understand the difference betwe... Read more
Assessment:
5 Tips For Better Cross-Cultural Assessments
Think machismo isn't your problem? Think again. Something as basic as a pain scale may be ... Read more
Adverse Events:
Adverse Event Or Poor OASIS Assessment - It's Important To Know For Sure
M0270 may not affect payment, but careful assessment will save you time - and survey prob... Read more
Adverse Events:
Understand OASIS Connection To Avoid Adverse Events
Adverse event outcome reports rely on information from both start of care and resumption ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Protect Yourself By Understanding New 728 Codes
Home health patients often have some kind of weakness, so make sure understanding weaknes... Read more
OBQI:
Make The Most Of An Underused Resource - Your QIO
How would you like to decrease the number of congestive heart failure patient hospitalizat... Read more
Reimbursement:
Can Your FI Really PEP A LUPA?
The answer may surprise you.In the prospective payment system reimbursement game, does a P... Read more
Training:
'V' Is For Very Confusing
These tips can turn that V into "victory."If you're looking for the key to V code accuracy... Read more
Education:
Are Language And Communication The Same?
True or False? Even if a patient can communicate with you and his family fluently using ... Read more
News You Can Use:
OASIS May Finally BecomeBecome Part Of COPs
Home health agencies might actually see the new conditions of participation before the nex... Read more
Reader Question:
A Patient With Memory Deficits May Tax Your Memory, Too
Here's what you need to document. Question: What are important things to document when y... Read more
OASIS Update:
5 New Years Resolutions You'll Be Glad You Made
Jan. 1, 2004 is upon us, along with the usual diet and exercise resolutions. Challenge you... Read more
OBQI:
Never Give Up: This Time OASIS Tally Sheets May Work For You
Filters are for more than water and cigarettes. If you failed in the past when you attempt... Read more
Assessment:
Use Severity Ratings To Prevent Costly Errors
Inconsistencies are a key problem. Remember in math class when you checked your answer ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
So You Thought V Codes Would Make Coding Simpler ...
These 10 tips will help you cut through the coding confusion. Is V coding just one trick... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
V Code Quick Reference Chart for Home Care
V57.xx Rehab Aftercare (use additional code to identify underlying condition) V57.1 - Phy... Read more
Reimbursement:
Do You Know The Best Question For Revealing Patients' Dyspnea?
The price of inaccurate answers to M0490 may leave you breathless. It's very important to ... Read more
Reimbursement:
M0490 Downcoding Can Cost You Hundreds
Five points may not seem like much, but when it bumps the clinical severity level up a not... Read more
Education:
Do Your 485s Pass Muster?
Q: Is it true it's best for agencies to obtain an official CMS-485 (Home Health Certifica... Read more
Survey & Certification:
Instructions In Triplicate Get The Message Should Ensure Surveyors
If not, CMS will back you up. Private-pay OASIS collection ended, but skeptical surveyor... Read more
News You Can Use:
Being Average Is Not All Bad
When it comes to visits per episode, home health agencies may prefer to hide out in the mi... Read more
Reader Question:
When Is A Surgical Wound Non-healing?
Follow these guidelines from a wound care expert to find out. Q: We have many patients w... Read more
Available Years:  2004  2003  2002