|
SNAP SHOT
PALLIATIVE CARE and HOSPICE: Predictive Analytics Can Help Hospices Reach Patients Sooner, Hospice News, November 18, 2019 – Predictive analytics systems are gaining ground in the hospice and palliative care fields as a means to identify patients in need of service earlier in the course of their illness.
HOSPICE: GAO Report Recommends CMS Receive More Authority to Enforce Safety Requirements on Hospice, NAHC Report, November 22, 2019 – In recent months several reports examining aspects of the Medicare hospice benefit have been issued by oversight bodies including the Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The report contains:
-
Comparisons of the number of Medicare hospice beneficiaries, beneficiary characteristics, and Medicare payments of for-profit and not-for-profit hospices;
-
Comparisons of hospice providers’ scores on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) quality measures and other potential indicators of quality for for-profit and non-profit hospices; and
-
Discussion of opportunities for strengthening CMS’ oversight of hospice providers.
HOME HEALTH: HHAs: Avoid Payment Delays, Register for iQIES by December 23 Act now!
Home Health Agencies (HHAs) need access to the upgraded Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) to submit assessment data beginning January 1. CMS will return claims that cannot be matched to assessments, delaying your Medicare payments. See the MLN Connects Special Edition article SE 19025 for: Background, Step-by-step instructions, Training videos, FAQs, and How to get help
RCD UPDATES –
OCHCH Members: Thank you very much for participating in OCHCH’s November 22nd RCD WEEKLY CALL!
OCHCH recently launched an awareness campaign to provide your agency with the assistance, information, resources, and training you need to tackle the challenges of RCD and PDGM. This campaign is called OPERATION: tackle.
As part of OPERATION: tackle we are hosting weekly conference calls on RCD that started on October 25th and will continue for the foreseeable future. These conference calls will provide an opportunity for us to share the latest developments of RCD, for you to share your challenges, and for our members to share best practices in a real time environment. On the November 22nd call you heard Charles Canaan, Palmetto GBA’s Provider Education Consultant discussed how PDGM is going to work with RCD, and answered numerous questions!
Click here to learn what PCR documents will be needed when PDGM is implemented on January 1, 2020
HOME HEALTH RCD Question: Encrypted Files
Question: Will Palmetto accept an encrypted file (pt. dob is password) when reviewing the PDFs we upload? We cannot find anything in Palmetto's literature addressing this. We have emailed Palmetto as well and no response to date.
If Palmetto is not able to accept encrypted files we need something in writing from them to provide to our Hospital System and Software Vendor. Our system encrypts the records automatically with the patient DOB as the password.
Answer from Palmetto GBA: Currently there is not a way to submit an encrypted file in eServices
RCD Call Recording for 11/22/19 https://web.telspan.com/play/ochch/10415-ochch-rcd-call
The RCD Call Recordings are available on Friday afternoons.
DO YOU HAVE A RCD QUESTION?
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE QUICKEST WAY TO A LIVE RCD AGENT.
Dial 855-696-0705
Press “0” at the main menu
Press “0” again
Press “3” for HHH
Press “1” for an RCD agent
REMINDER: All RCD provider questions must go through the Palmetto GBA Provider Contact Center (PCC) at 855-696-0705. However, if your questions are not being answered, you are not receiving a call back in a timely manner, or you need assistance to contact Palmetto GBA, PLEASE contact OCHCH by using helpdesk@ochch.org and use subject title, “RCD” and include the UTNs, OR call 614-885-0434 Ext 209.
Find RCD Answers through the updated October 16, 2019 Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for Home Health Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Monthly Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) Provider Teleconference Schedule – Next date is 12/04/2019
ATTENTION: Check out the updated RCD Toolkit located in the members’ section of the OCHCH site. Just login to “My Profile” and in the left column under “HELP DESK ONLINE” click on “RCD Toolkit.”
Next OCHCH Weekly RCD Conference Call - Friday, DECEMBER 6, 2019 at 10am!
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!! Please mark your calendars for EVERY FRIDAY @ 10am. The calls will last no more than an hour.
(No call on Friday, November 29 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday!)
Call-in info through December 2019 will remain the same as all of the November calls:
Login - https://web.telspan.com/go/ochch/ochchpdgm
or
Dial: 888-392-4564
Passcode: 7896828#
If you have trouble getting on the Call – PLEASE CALL OCHCH 1-614-885-0434 Ext.206, or e-mail ryan@ochch.org
>>> PDGM UPDATES –
PDGM Questions & Answers from Palmetto GBA regarding when to discharge a patient and when to resume care when the patient goes into the hospital after 1/1/2020; and additional information on timing of institutional and hospitalizations and SNF admissions during an episode
Click here to access all the MLN Matters articles about PDGM.
The following webcasts are(were) hosted by the MACs:
Recording of the Home Health Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) Webcast Part I: November 21, 2019 is now available, but new viewers need to register to view it: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2102883/B5891153B2D7176F464B35EEBBC02B90
Home Health Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) Webcast Part Two: December 5, 2019
This is second part of two collaborative webcasts about the Home Health Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), hosted by your Home Health Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), CGS, National Government Services and Palmetto GBA. This presentation will begin on Thursday, December 05, 2019 at 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. During this webcast, you will receive information to help your agency prepare to implement clinical changes for the PDGM on January 1, 2020. PDGM is the Medicare payment model used to reimburse home health agencies. Please plan to attend.
OPERATION: tackle PDGM
The OCHCH campaign to support your agency’s PDGM needs will be up and running the beginning of December. We will be scheduling weekly PDGM calls, and the helpdesk (Kathy and I) have been and will continue to answer PDGM questions. By the way, the PDGM Toolkit will be updated to include more links for you!!!
OCHCH will have a number of recordings available on our website of previous PDGM education webinars for your purchase or access. Moving forward OCHCH is committed to bringing you continued education on the implementation of PDGM and its impacts on our industry.
OUR TAKE – By Alexandra Weingarth | Director of Policy and Advocacy
The Director of Aging, Ursel McElroy testified before the Ohio House of Representatives Aging and Long Term Care Committee last Thursday November 21st. She stated that:
- Ohio is the sixth-largest 65-plus population in the nation.
- There are approximately 2.8 million Ohioans over the age of 60.
- Ohio’s 60-plus population is growing at a rate 28 times faster than the rest of the population
In our industry, we knew that this would be a hot topic within the executive branch and the legislature. The baby boomers are starting to age, and some would say the “silver tsunami” is approaching. Data supports that older adults prefer to age in their homes. Interestingly enough, The Director mentioned in her testimony that, “according to the US bureau of Labor Statistics, direct care workers (HH aides and personal care aides are the third and fourth fastest growing occupation in the county, yet the bureau notes that the low pay and high emotional stress demands cause workers to leave these occupations.”
We know that these occupations are on the rise, thus why we continuously work to urge government to reduce red tape regulations and consider making investments within the home health and hospice industries.
Additionally, the Director testified that the Ohio Department of Aging will be focusing on three priorities: Population Health, Economic Stability and Elder Justice. They will be looking at various ways of how to combat fraud waste and abuse, especially against older Ohioans.
For more information, please see the press release from the Ohio Department of Aging here.
Alexandra Weingarth | Director of Policy and Advocacy
Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice
|
