Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The July 21, 2023 issue of CDC’s MMWR provides information on the Use of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines in Older Adults: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2023. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a cause of severe respiratory illness in older…… Continue reading Use of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines in Older Adults: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Six states have adopted this option under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to provide individuals experiencing mental health or substance use disorder crises with community-based interventions and stabilization. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today approved proposals from California and Kentucky for community-based mobile…… Continue reading CMS Approves California & Kentucky Requests to Provide Essential Behavioral Health Services Through Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted Transmittal 216 – Revision to SOM Appendix A – Hospitals on July 21, 2023. This transmittal includes updates of the interpretive guidance for §482.13(c)(2) – The patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting. This new material carries both an effective…… Continue reading Revision to State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix A – Hospitals

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS is providing notifications to facilities that were determined to be out of compliance with Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements for CY 2022, which will affect their FY 2024 Annual Payment Update (APU). Non-compliance notifications are being distributed by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and were…… Continue reading Quality Reporting Program: PAC Non-Compliance Letters for FY 2024 APU

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare OSHA is amending its occupational injury and illness recordkeeping regulation to require certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information to OSHA that employers are already required to keep under the recordkeeping regulation. Specifically, OSHA is amending its regulation to require establishments with 100 or…… Continue reading OSHA Final Rule: Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted QSO-23-19-Hospitals this morning (July 17, 2023).  Medicare-certified hospitals have a regulatory obligation to care for patients in a safe setting under the Medicare Hospital Conditions of Participation at §482.13(c)(2). The intention of this requirement is to specify that each patient receives care in…… Continue reading Ligature Risk and Assessment in Hospitals   

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its proposed policies for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) via the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule, with proposals applicable to the 2024 performance year. These include proposals for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative…… Continue reading CMS Proposes Policy Changes for Quality Payment Program

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare For those providers who have Joint Commission accreditation: Prepublication Standards – Effective August 27, 2023. Last year, The Joint Commission reviewed the hospital accreditation requirements that are above and beyond the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and reduced the requirements…… Continue reading The Joint Commission: Select Retired and Revised Accreditation Requirements

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Be part of Healthy Vision Month 2023. Eye disease and vision loss affect millions of Americans—including many older adults. As people get older, they’re at greater risk for common eye diseases and conditions, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma.  Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. But the good news is that regular comprehensive dilated eye…… Continue reading July is Healthy Vision Month

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Transmittal 12123 was posted July 11, 2023. Note the Effective/Implementation Date is July 17, 2023. I. GENERAL INFORMATION A. Background: Medicare Regulation 42 CFR section 405.378 provides for the assessment of interest at the higher of the current value of funds rate (one percent for calendar…… Continue reading Notice of New Interest Rate for Medicare Overpayments and Underpayments -4th Quarter Notification for FY 2023