Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released a short video tutorial to assist providers with coding GG0130A. Eating. This 6-minute video is designed to provided targeted guidance using simulated patient scenarios. To access the video, click on the link below: Coding GG0130A. Eating…… Continue reading CMS Posts Section GG Video Tutorials

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare A study and a survey were published this week that should interest the LTC community. A study on the Role of Post‐Acute Care in Readmissions for Preexisting Healthcare‐Associated Infections was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  This study looked at 2013 –…… Continue reading LTC Infection Management and Antibiotic Stewardship Programs

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare If you missed the October 24th CDC webinar on Enhanced Barrier Precautions, you missed a good one!  Lots of great information was provided. You can access the 73-slide presentation and get continuing education credit (information found on slides 3 and 67 of the presentation) as…… Continue reading CDC Enhanced Barrier Precautions Presentation

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The nursing home complaint process is a critical safeguard to protect vulnerable nursing home residents. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) relies upon each State’s survey agency to respond to health and safety concerns raised by residents, their families, and nursing home staff.…… Continue reading Trends in Nursing Home Complaints (2016-2018)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare In the United States, nursing homes provide complex medical care to residents at high risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Through outbreak responses to novel or targeted MDROs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health partners have found that gaps in…… Continue reading CDC Enhanced Barrier Precautions Presentation – October 24, 2019

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare That’s the title of the Press Release dated October 17, 2019. Administrative Memo – Admin Info: 20-02-ALL was also posted that same day.  The Administrative Memo (154 pages in length, including the updated SPSS guide for FY2020) reflects that “CMS is releasing revisions to the…… Continue reading Trump Administration Strengthens Oversight of Nursing Home Inspections to Keep Patients and Residents Safe

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME) issued a joint informational letter dated October 9, 2019 (I received it via email just this afternoon) updating information provided late last month regarding the use of the OSA for IA Medicaid Case…… Continue reading Iowa SNF/LTC Providers – Optional State Assessment (OSA) Update

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare I provided the press release/information on October 7, 2019 regarding the updates to Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.   CMS also issued Survey & Certification Notice QSO-20-01-NH, dated that same day, to relay this information to providers and State Survey Agency Directors.…… Continue reading Consumer Alerts Added to Nursing Home Compare Website and the Five-Star Quality Rating System

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted the updated Quality Measures manual – version 12.1 – in early September 2019 then pulled it off the website a short time later.  The updated QM manual – still version 12.1 was posted again on October 8, 2019 in the form of a…… Continue reading MDS 3.0 QM User’s Manual Version 12.1 Now Available – Again

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has been very busy the past week with all things PDPM!   Updates to Medicare claims and billing manuals were no exception.  All updates are effective and being implemented on November 5, 2019 (revised verbiage is identified by the red ink): Chapter 4 – Physician…… Continue reading CMS Releases Medicare Claims and Billing Manual Updates