OASIS C preparation now will save you stress and money later. With only about four months to complete all the revamping needed to use the new OASIS C assessment accurately, you can’t put training off any longer. Look to these audioconferences…

Did you know? Codes required in M0240 may be optional in M0210.   We are doing a resumption of care OASIS assessment on a patient who has been in the hospital. This patient has a Stage II pressure ulcer on his heel.…

Answering M0390 is just the beginning for low vision coding.   If you’re looking for more case mix points, cast your eye on a category you may have been blind to. The 369.xx (Blindness and low vision) codes were rarely used in…

Before you start: Consult the experts – your therapists.   A patient’s fall is not a random event, so your falls assessment program shouldn’t be hit or miss. As you evaluate what you need to do to prepare for OASIS C, one of the…

Scenario: As part of the assessment in a physical therapy-only case, the therapist collects and initially reviews the patient’s medications. The agency procedure then has the nurse in the office perform the final review of the medication sheet to identify…

Diabetes case management study disappoints proponents.   Home health agencies often find that their struggle to reduce hospital readmissions collides with the hospital’s or physician’s practice patterns or needs. A new piece of public information may better align hospital and home health…

Falls Prevention  Here’s how to use your OASIS assessment more effectively. Take advantage of data you already have to ramp up your falls prevention program. Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in the United States. In 2006, nearly 8 million…

Software vendors are next on OASIS C plan. Home health agencies looking to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for more guidance on OASIS C training are left hanging. The OASIS C User’s Manual, which includes the step-by-step guidance for each…

Scenario: Your patient is routinely admitted to the hospital for planned chemotherapy. Question: Do you have to complete an RFA 6/7 (Transfer to the Inpatient Facility) each time the patient goes into the hospital for these planned admissions? A) Yes, because it…

New diagnosis codes could provide additional case mix codes. If you’ve felt like your infection coding could use a tune-up, new ICD-9 codes deliver, with 12 new codes targeting infections. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with 141 new codes…