| The changing climate of assisted living facilities (ALF) has attracted the attention of potential lawsuits that used to target nursing homes. This shift follows the increase of higher-level services offered by ALFs, laying out a familiar battle ground for attorneys who filed suit against nursing homes. These lawsuits mimic a common theme seen in SNF cases: the facility chooses profit over people. | | Documenting homebound status can often be an area of difficulty, as quite a few of these patients seen in the home do not exhibit the same physical limitations as those patients who suffer from other illnesses that are not psychiatric in nature. This makes documentation of homebound status more challenging. The nurse will need to document the reason this patient is psychiatrically homebound on each note and on the plan of care. Medicare defines it this way: “if his/her illness is manifested in part by a refusal to leave the home, or is of such a nature that it would not be considered safe for him/her to leave home unattended even if he/she has no physical limitations.” | | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its October 2016 set of Hospice Item Set (HIS) Question and Answers and Quarterly Updates. The document is intended to provide guidance on HIS-related questions that were received by the Hospice Quality Help Desk during the third quarter of 2016. IT also contains a coding tip of the quarter and quarterly updates from the third quarters. | | Thousands of congressional meetings and countless hours of work on the part of staff, advocates, and individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease were celebrated on November 3 with the announcement of CMS’ final decision: Cognitive and functional assessments and care planning will now be covered under Medicare for individual’s with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive impairment. | Upcoming CMS Events Monday, November 14, 2016, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST - CMS Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) Stakeholder Teleconference Meeting Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - Quality Payment Program Final Rule MLN Connects® Call Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - Home Health, Hospice, and DME Open Door Forum | Product Spotlight Building solid operational and clinical processes is key for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) to stay compliant under the numerous Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulatory changes effective October 1. The evolving “volume to value” industry landscape brings with it more accountability, higher outcome standards, and incentivized payment systems. |
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