Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The U.S. House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee released Under-Enforced and Over-Prescribed: The Antipsychotic Drug Epidemic Ravaging America’s Nursing Homes on July 27, 2020.  This is a 53-page report that merits your attention.  These are excerpts from the Executive Summary to whet your interest (bolding…… Continue reading Antipsychotic Drug Epidemic Ravaging America’s Nursing Homes

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare A new issue is affecting some inpatient hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) claims when an interrupted stay is billed at the end of the month. The system incorrectly assigns edits U5601-U5608 (overlapping a hospital claim). If you billed the interrupted stay correctly, and your claim…… Continue reading SNF Patient Driven Payment Model Interrupted Stay Issue

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare In case you forgot about your annual PEPPER report, CMS has not.  CMS has directed the PEPPER team to resume distribution of PEPPER reports to all post-acute facilities. The SNF Q4FY report will be delivered on July 29, 2020.  It was originally scheduled for release on…… Continue reading SNF PEPPER Reports Are Coming

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The state of Arizona has posted this Disaster Ready Behavioral Care Tool Kit which can be used beyond Arizona although some things are specific to AZ.  This is a 128-page guide was developed as a result of the Disaster Ready Behavioral Care Pilot conducted in 2018/2019.…… Continue reading Disaster Ready Behavioral Care Tool Kit

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted an updated Appendix B of the RAI Manual on July 8, 2020.  The document is dated June 26, 2020. Download and save this update to access if you need to contact your state RAI or MDS Automation Coordinator or CMS Regional Office.

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late last week, I blogged about the QSO-20-34-NH notification and what its contents meant for LTC providers.  A key element of this QSO was the end of the PBJ reporting waiver.  It was a short-lived waiver, to be sure.  ezPBJ – a Briggs family member and…… Continue reading PBJ Reporting Waiver Ends – Get the Facts from the Experts!

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The ABN, Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal.  The use of the renewed form with the expiration date of 06/30/2023 will be mandatory on 8/31/2020.  The ABN form and instructions may be found at: …… Continue reading CMS-R-131 ABN Form Renewed

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Yesterday’s session for Establishing an Infection Prevention Program and Conducting Ongoing Infection Surveillance in the Nursing Home (registration filled rapidly for this session) was a great kickoff for this series of eight (8) one-hour sessions every Thursday from 4pm to 5pm (ET) through July 16th to…… Continue reading Missed the First Session of May 28, 2020 National NH Training Series?

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS is conducting a weekly NH training series focused on infection prevention in the nursing home setting. The first session is tomorrow – Thursday, May 28, 2020 from 4pm to 5pm (ET). Here’s the link to REGISTER.