Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant, Briggs Healthcare A specifications document providing technical details for OASIS-D1, effective January 1, 2020, is now available at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HomeHealthQualityInits/Downloads/v2-31-0-OASIS-D1-changes-DRAFT.pdf These specifications supplement the information provided in the OASIS-D1 Update memorandum revised and posted May 2019 at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HomeHealthQualityInits/HHQIOASISUserManual.html.    

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant, Briggs Healthcare If your agency is in a state where CGS provides services beginning January 1, 2020, you MUST submit your home health and hospice billing transactions using the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) regardless of the dates of service. Billing transactions include home health requests for anticipated payments…… Continue reading January 1, 2020: Seven Months To Go and Counting!

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant, Briggs Healthcare It’s that time of year when people travel for pleasure and generously share their pathogenic microorganisms. It’s also a good reminder that earlier this year CMS updated Appendix Z of the State Operations Manual to include; “Planning for using an all-hazards approach should also include emerging…… Continue reading Does your emergency preparedness program include ways to strengthen infectious disease surveillance and response?

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant, Briggs Healthcare When a Medicare health plan, either directly or by delegation, terminates pre-authorized coverage of services from a Home Health Agency (HHA) a special expedited review procedure applies. Expedited review requests filed timely bypass the health plan’s reconsideration process, and an independent review entity known as a…… Continue reading Effective June 8, 2019, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) restructured the BFCC-QIO coverage.

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant, Briggs Healthcare What is already known about this topic? Since 1991, U.S. tuberculosis (TB) rates have declined, including among health care personnel (HCP). Serial TB testing has limitations in populations at low risk. What is added by this report? A systematic review found a low percentage of HCP…… Continue reading CDC Releases TB guidelines 5/17/19

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the Home Health Change of Care (HHCCN) Form, CMS-10280.  Effective July 1, 2019, all Home Health Agencies (HHA) will be required to use the renewed form with the expiration date of 4/30/2022 on the bottom.  Please…… Continue reading July 1, 2019 your agency will need to use the renewed HHCCN

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The next Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, 2019 PM at 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). Please call at least 15 minutes prior to the forum start time. **This Agenda is Subject to Change** Opening Remarks Acting…… Continue reading Just in case you didn’t see the next Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door announcement…