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CMS Clarifies Use of Rubber Stamp Signatures
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued Change Request (CR) 8219, which clarifies the use of a rubber stamp for signature. According to the CR, for medical review purposes,...
View ArticleAPRN autonomy makes big strides
APRNs made additional strides toward autonomy last week, with the passage of a new bill in Texas and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius lauding the role of physician assistants in primary care.In Texas,...
View ArticleProposed dementia care guidance released by CMS
On May 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo sent to state survey agency directors that contained interim guidance related to surveyors’ assessment for compliance...
View ArticleDon't forget to submit your comments for the IPPS proposed rule
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, Online editor CMS proposed revisions to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program when it issued the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Notice of...
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ICD-9 vs. ICD-10: Similarities and differences
An upgrade of the coding classification system was needed as ICD-9 has become outdated. Under ICD-9, new technologies, procedures and even diagnostic specificity is not detailed enough to capture the...
View ArticleANA to release safe patient handling guide
Here’s something that optimistic young nursing students don’t likely envision as they embark on their career: The injuries and musculoskeletal disorders that can result from improper patient handling....
View ArticleQ/A: How do we report therapy G codes and modifiers for multiple therapies?
Q: Our outpatient rehab department is having some discussion about how to report the G codes and modifiers. They are struggling with how to report the codes when the patient has multiple reasons for...
View ArticleCMS releases new ICD-10 FAQs
By Michelle A. Leppert, CPCCMS released three FAQs about ICD-10 billing, including how to bill encounters that cross the ICD-10 implementation date. That’s October 1, 2014 in case you forgot. And a...
View ArticleCMS releases new QAPI resources
On June 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo sent to state survey agency directors that announced the rollout of introductory materials to help nursing homes...
View ArticleCMS says it's not too late to avoid payment adjustments
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, Online editor Eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) that cannot demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs)...
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FDA makes new proposal related to C. diff and other threatening pathogens
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a regulation to establish a list of “qualifying pathogens” that have the potential to pose a serious threat to public health. One of these pathogens...
View ArticleNurses Take Lead in Recognizing PTSD
Up to 8% of the US population will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, but for veterans, that percentage is even higher. According to the Veteran’s...
View ArticleQ/A: How will ICD-10 affect OPPS?
Q: How will the change to ICD-10 affect the Medicare OPPS beginning October 1, 2014?A: Hospitals will be required to assign ICD-10 codes for hospital outpatient encounters beginning with date of...
View ArticleNew proposed rule looks to strengthen long-term care ombudsman program
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has posted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making that puts forward changes designed to strengthen and clarify how Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (LTCO) implement...
View ArticleCoding Sepsis Survey: You spoke, we listened
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, Online editor From difficulty distinguishing between documentation for sepsis, severe sepsis, ureosepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), bacteremia, and...
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OIG Report Finds Inaccurate Data in PECOS Database
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on May 28 that found that improvements are needed to ensure that provider enumeration and Medicare enrollment data is accurate, complete, and...
View ArticleNurses, Other Providers Becoming Key to Cancer Care
Ancillary providers, including oncology nurse navigators, oncology nurses, and oncology physician assistants, are playing a growing role in cancer care, according to new research from HRA-Healthcare...
View ArticleQ/A: Can we use the same functional G codes for all therapies?
Q: Can we use the same functional G codes for all therapies? A: No, there are two sets of codes – one designed for physical (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) and a second set for speech language...
View Article"State of HIM" survey reveals alarming statistics
by Jaclyn Fitzgerald, Online editorTrust Healthcare Consulting Services and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recently released a report on the results of their “State of...
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