News / Blog
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Q & A – Does the section 1812(f) waiver for the 3-day qualifying hospital stay apply only to those beneficiaries who are actually diagnosed with COVID-19, or does the waiver apply to all SNF-level beneficiaries under Medicare Part A?
Q: Does the section 1812(f) waiver for the 3-day qualifying hospital stay apply only to those beneficiaries who are actually diagnosed with COVID-19, or does the waiver apply to all SNF-level beneficiaries under Medicare Part A? A: The qualifying hospital stay...
Q & A – Who are the Qualified Providers who are permitted to furnish telehealth services under the PHE waiver?
Q: Who are the Qualified Providers who are permitted to furnish telehealth services under the PHE waiver? A: The same health care providers are still permitted to furnish Medicare telehealth services under the waiver authority during the Public Health...
Q & A – Who can bill for the Medicare specimen collection fee for COVID-19 testing?
Q: Who can bill for the Medicare specimen collection fee for COVID-19 testing ? A: Independent laboratories can bill Medicare through their MAC for the specimen collection fee. The specimen collection fee applies if the specimen is collected by trained...
Care Planning & Charting for COVID-19
While documentation and care planning requirements are a well-established part of the daily SNF routine, it is important to consider the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on each resident’s treatment plan. Along with managing and supporting those known or suspected to...
COVID-19: Staffing Measures
Staff Monitoring & Return to Work Ill employees are one of the most common sources of COVID-19 transmission into facilities. Therefore, it is important to screen and manage employees with symptoms of respiratory illness. Staff should promptly report any symptoms...
Q & A – What should be documented in the medical record when therapy treatment is disrupted because of COVID-19?
Q: What should be documented in the medical record when therapy treatment is disrupted because of COVID-19? For example, in my facility essential therapy staff are unavailable to treat because they are on a 14 day quarantine. A: In many cases, therapy services...
Proper Use and Conservation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The unexpected surge in patient volume within our healthcare facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused PPE shortages around the country. Healthcare facilities are having difficulty accessing the needed PPE and are having to find alternative ways to provide...
COVID-19: Best Practices for Communication & Cooperation
Quickly sharing information about prevention efforts and disease outbreak can help stop the spread of disease, and reduce the incidence of illness and even death. In addition to immediately reporting details of positive cases to your state and local health...
ICD10 Mappings and PDPM Grouper DLL updated for COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the final guidelines for the new diagnosis code U07.1, COVID-19, effective April 1 to September 30, 2020. As a result, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also updated the ICD-10-CM to...
Q & A – What is an advance payment and how do I apply for one?
Q: What is an advance payment and how do I apply for one? A: An accelerated/advance payment is a payment intended to provide necessary funds when there is a disruption in claims submission and/or claims processing. These expedited payments can be offered in...
Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Interim Final Rule
On March 30, CMS issued the Interim Final Rule with Comment (IFC) entitled, Medicare & Medicaid Programs; Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (CMS-1744-IFC). The rule gives...
Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities
This week CMS announced blanket Coronavirus waivers and flexibilities impacting multiple provider types including nursing facilities and a 221-page Interim Final Rule adjusting a wide range of Medicare and Medicaid regulations to give providers additional flexibility...
Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Passes by House Today
The Senate passed the $2 trillion bipartisan Coronavirus Stimulus Bill 3/25/2020 and the House passed this bill 3/27/2020 with President Trump signing the bill into law the same day. The Coronavirus Stimulus Bill includes $200 million in funding for CMS to assist...
Reporting Staff COVID-19 Infection-OSHA Requirements
COVID-19 can be a recordable illness if a worker is infected as a result of performing their work-related duties. However, employers are only responsible for recording cases of COVID-19 if all of the following are met: The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19 (see CDC...
PDPM Coding Questions – Where do we find guidelines on how to establish a baseline temp?
Q: Where do we find guidelines on how to establish a baseline temp? A: Fever is defined as a temperature 2.4 degrees F higher than baseline. The resident’s baseline temperature should be established prior to the Assessment Reference Date. A temperature of 100.4...