OASIS Alert
IF SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS CONFLICT, LOOK TO FEDERAL LAW
When you get the right signature, be sure it's also in the approved format. Question: Can you tell me if a Certified Nurse Practitioner, Physician's Assistant or Clinical Nurse Specialist can sign orders and the 485/plan of care? Answer: None of these people can sign orders or a plan of care under the federal Conditions of Participation unless they are co-signed by the licensed physician, says clinical consultant Judy Adams with Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Adams Home Care Consulting. This is true even if your state licensure act recognizes the legality of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to sign orders, she says. The regulations for signing orders for beneficiaries under a home health plan of care are in 42 CFR 424.22 (Requirements for home health services). These state that only an MD, DO, or DPM may sign the plan of care. Caution: Be sure your staff know that stamped physician signatures are not allowed. Physician's signatures must be either hand-written or an electronic signature to comply with Medicare requirements. Note: Information about requirement for hand-written or electronic signatures is in Change Request 5971, published March 28, 2008 and available at www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/Downloads/R248PI.pdf. For 42 CFR 242.22 go to www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/retrieve.html.
OASIS Alert
- OASIS C :
YOUR KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE NEW PROCESS MEASURES
Examine these areas to plan your strategy. You may not know what the item instructions [...] - Education :
KEEP UP WITH M0 CLARIFICATIONS FOR OASIS ACCURACY
Remember OASIS data collection has its own vocabulary. Scenario: You admit an elderly woman who [...] - Adverse Events :
IMPROVING REHOSPITALIZATION RATES CHALLENGES HHAs
Don't expect providers' interests to coincide. Rehospitalization is frequent, costly, and associated with gaps in [...] - Inservice :
JOIN AN OASIS C TRAINING EXPERT TO JUMPSTART YOUR EFFORTS
Here’s one more pressure ulcer risk you may not have considered. Pressure ulcers are always [...] - Reader Question :
IF SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS CONFLICT, LOOK TO FEDERAL LAW
When you get the right signature, be sure it's also in the approved format. Question: [...] - Relevant Research :
HELP YOUR AGENCY SURVIVE BY FOCUSING ON COSTS
Medications may cause cognitive decline. Researchers have found a key difference between profitable agencies and [...] - Diagnosis Coding :
3 STEPS CLEAR YOUR OASIS ATTACHMENT D CONFUSION
Complete M0246 in only 3 scenarios. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has tried [...] - News You Can Use :
HHAs RELY SIGNIFICANTLY ON NON-HOSPITAL REFERRALS
Negative pressure wound therapy wins kudos. Beneficiaries who need help with three or more activities [...]
