Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, NLCP-C, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare April 9, 2019, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act. H.R.2150, the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2019, would extend certification authority to nurse practitioners, physician assistants,…… Continue reading Lawmakers Are Trying Again to Relax Home Health Certification Requirements.

Sharon Hamilton MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS is implementing a five-year Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for Home Health Services in the states of Illinois, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida beginning in 2019. The choice selection period for Home Health Agencies (HHAs) located in Illinois will begin on April 17, 2019 and…… Continue reading REVIEW CHOICE DEMONSTRATION – Your agency still has time to choose!

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Starting January 1, 2020 home health agencies will have to be ready for the start of the Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) payment system and for the latest OASIS update. CMS announced in the April 3rd Open Door Call that OASIS-D1 will be implemented on…… Continue reading Year 2020 will be a year to remember!

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Medicare home infusion therapy services temporary transitional payment is for coverage of home infusion therapy services needed for the safe and effective administration of certain drugs and biologicals administered intravenously or subcutaneously through an external infusion pump that is an item of Durable Medical Equipment…… Continue reading What is the Home Infusion Therapy Services Temporary Transitional Payment?

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Subject: Manual Updates Related to Home Health Certification and Recertification Policy Changes Transmittal 870 and Transmittal 258 Transmittal 870 summary of changes: This Change Request (CR) updates the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, (Pub. 100-02), Chapter 7 and the Medicare Program Integrity Manual (Pub. 100-08), Chapter 6,…… Continue reading 3-22-2019 CMS released two transmittals for Home Health change Request (CR) 11104. Implementation date for both are April 22, 2019

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Briggs is happy to announce Lisa Selman-Holman is coming to West Des Moines to provide ICD-10 training April 3rd and 4th at the Iowa Health Care Association Education Center. This 2-day workshop, ICD-10 CODING FOR HOME HEALTH DONE RIGHT, will help you increase your coding knowledge…… Continue reading Did You Know? Lisa Selman-Holman is coming to West Des Moines to provide ICD-10 training April 3rd and 4th!

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The updated system will be called Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).  CMS is phasing in the iQIES system beginning with Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCH). To learn more continue reading. If you have questions, contact the service desk at: help@qtso.com or by phone: 800-339-9313. Starting in…… Continue reading Keep your eyes open! Starting in March, CMS is updating the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES)

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Virginia lawmakers, both the House and Senate, have unanimously passed legislation that requires commercial health plans to cover remote patient monitoring services. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam is expected to sign the bill into law soon.Legislation (HB 1970 and SB 1221) defines remote patient monitoring as;…… Continue reading New Telehealth bills and what it means for Home Health Services. Could your state be next?

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The quarterly Home Health Compare refresh became available as of Jan 23, 2019. This refresh includes four new quality measures based on data that was submitted to CMS. This is the first time these measures will be reported on Home Health Compare. The measures are available…… Continue reading News from CMS

Sharon Hamilton, MS, RN, NLCPC, CFDS Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On January 23, 2019, CMS published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Conditions of Participation (CoP). Subsequently, within a 30-day period to meet compliance, all surveyors will use the guidance contained within the FAQs when providing a survey. Agencies should familiarize their clinical staff now with the FAQs…… Continue reading Just in case you missed it!