Therapy Documentation: Proposed Clarifications to 42 CFR 409.44(c)(1)

by Diana (Dee) Kornetti on September 7, 2010

To ensure that therapy services relate directly and specifically to a treatment regimen designed to treat the beneficiary’s illness or injury, CMS is proposing to clarify their coverage requirements by revising 42 CFR 409.44(c)(1). Specifically, these clarifications are related to the (a) patient’s (therapy) plan of care, (b) therapy treatment goals, and (c) clinical record inclusion of objective measurement of function in accordance with accepted standards of clinical practice. CMS does not, however, identify any specific tests or measures expected to be utilized, leaving that decision up to the therapist or agency (as established in policy and procedure). Learn what factors to consider when determining if a specific test or measure is an appropriate instrument.

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How to Prepare for Inclement Weather

by Lisa Speicher on September 2, 2010

It’s hurricane season. Cue the dramatic music. So what should your organization do to prepare? To ensure that your business responds well to inclement weather, you’ll need to build a contingency plan. Start by mapping out how you will communicate and protect data and equipment during these times.

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How to Respond to Bad Reviews on Google

August 25, 2010

As more and more home care and hospice organizations look to use tools like Google Places and Google Maps, sometimes the unthinkable happens. A bad review of your organization pops up on Google Maps. Yikes! How did this happen? If the reviewer knew anything about your organization, he or she would know that you and your team work incredibly hard to provide the best possible care to your patients and their families. So what should you do next? How do you respond to the review?

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Meet Wilson Ortiz, Support Supervisor at CareAnyware!

August 21, 2010

We sat down with Wilson Ortiz, our support supervisor, to get the skinny on what he enjoys about CareAnyware and what he does when he’s not at the office burning the midnight oil.

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CarePages Ensures That No One Faces a Health Challenge Alone

August 19, 2010

Every once in awhile a new idea comes along that not only inspires us but changes the health care community for the better. One such idea is the motivation behind CarePages, an online community that helps patients, families, friends, and health care providers communicate about life-altering health events.

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Vesta Addresses End-of-Life Issues, Encourages Public Dialogue

August 17, 2010

Vesta, a Bryan Harnetiaux play, explores a family’s struggle with end-of-life issues after its matriarch, Vesta, suffers a stroke. Learn how you can bring Vesta to your community and what others have to say about the play.

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CMS’s Proposed Rule Would Affect Medicare Payment Rates and Therapy Services

August 11, 2010

CMS‘s proposed rule, published in the July 23, 2010, issue of the Federal Register, sets forth updates to the Home Health Prospective Payment System and the certification requirements for home health and hospice organizations. Today, we’re reviewing three areas that CMS addresses in the proposed rule: 60-day episode payment rates, outlier payments, and therapy services.

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CMS Issues Face-to-Face Proposed Rule

August 6, 2010

On July 16, 2010, CMS issued a proposed rule for Section 3132 of the Affordable Care Act. The rule requires that a hospice clinician have a face-to-face encounter with each hospice patient prior to the 180-day recertification and for each 60-day recertification thereafter.

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How Can You Make the Most of Facebook?

August 3, 2010

Follow us on Twitter. Connect with us on LinkedIn. Become our fan on Facebook. Sound familiar? Social media is more important than ever for innovative health care organizations seeking to expand their business and connect with patients. So how can home care and hospice organizations take advantage of social media tools? Today, we’re going to tell you how you can make the most of Facebook.

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Do You Know the Difference Between Web-Enabled and Web-Based Software?

July 27, 2010

Deciding which automation software is right for your organization can be overwhelming. To help get you started, we’re breaking down some of the industry jargon you’ll encounter when evaluating your options. Today we look at web-enabled vs. web-based software.

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