Eli's Rehab Report
OIG Has an Eye on Rehab for 2009
The HHS Office of Inspector General has once again released its annual laundry list of audit hot spots. This year, rehab providers in all settings should be on their toes. Items in the OIG's 2009 Work Plan included: • Inpatient hospital settings. The OIG plans to review inpatient rehab facility payments, as well as coding and documentation for Medicare Severity-Diagnostic Related Groups. • Home health agencies. The Work Plan lists Part B therapy payments for home health beneficiaries as first on its list for HHAs. See the article on page 101 for industry expert tips on this area. • Nursing homes. The OIG plans to review accurate RUG coding, and on the Medicaid side listed "plans of care: addressing minimum data set and resident assessment protocols through provided services." • Private practices. The OIG promised to review outpatient physical therapy services provided by independent therapists. Other items on the OIG's list included reviewing Medicare payment for power wheelchairs, along with a slew of other kinds of durable medical equipment. The OIG will also review recovery audit contractors' work. Note:
Eli's Rehab Report
- Audits:
Get Ready: CMS Is Launching Its Full-Blown RAC Program
What every rehab provider should know about RAC audits in advance. The Centers for Medicare [...] - Practice Pointers:
4 Things Every Rehab Manager Can Do to Prepare for RACs
It's never too late to improve your billing and documentation practices.Providers who think there's nothing [...] - Outpatient Outlook:
Say Hello to a New CPT for CRM Procedures
Learn important information on Medicare's reimbursement decision.New CPT Codes just came out, and [...] - Home Health:
Watch Out: Home Health Therapy Makes OIG's Hit List
Use these 2 tips to avoid hot spot pitfalls.Your therapy visits could land you in [...] - Coding Corner:
Get a Sneak Peek Into the ICD-10 Format
... and know what to expect for staff training.You read about the controversial ICD-10 implementation [...] - Clinical Rehab Roundup:
Try Activity Strategy Training With
"Effects of activity strategy training on pain and physical activity in older adults with knee [...] - Reader Questions:
Follow the Correct Group Therapy Practices for Your Setting
Question: I've heard that long-term care settings can concurrently treat two patients with different care [...] - News Briefs:
ASHA Tackles Special Needs Personnel Shortages
For organizations that are short on school-based speech-language pathologists and audiologists, a new Web site [...] - News Briefs:
OIG Has an Eye on Rehab for 2009
The HHS Office of Inspector General has once again released its annual laundry list of [...] - News Briefs:
MAC Transition Proves Rocky for California Therapists
If your Medicare contractor hasn't yet transitioned to a Medicare Administrative Contractor, be aware of [...]
