';
CLOSE
Medical Rehab

0 2107

It has been reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued letters of non-compliance to Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) specific to the IRF quality reporting program (QRP) requirements for the data collection period affecting federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019 reimbursement. IRFs that did not meet the IRF QRP reporting requirements will receive a two percent payment reduction on their IRF prospective payment system (PPS) annual increase factor in FY 2019.

IRFs found to be non-compliant should have received notification from their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) and are also expected to receive a letter in their provider Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) folder with specific details regarding the missing quality reporting data. Additional information on the data collections requirements and submission timeframes for FY 2019 compliance determination can be found in the CMS Data Collection & Final Submissions table posted on the CMS website, as well as the CMS IRF QRP website.

IRFs that feel they have received a non-compliance notification letter in error may request CMS reconsideration of the decision. Providers have 30 days to file a reconsideration request. Detailed filing instructions can be found on the IRF Quality Reporting Reconsideration and Exception & Extension web page.

0 1594

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the launch of their first Data Element Library (DEL). The DEL is the centralized resource for CMS assessment instrument data elements (e.g. questions and responses) and their associated health information technology standards. This free centralized resource will allow the public, for the first time, to view the specific types of data that CMS requires post-acute care facilities (such as inpatient rehabilitation facilities) to collect as part of the health assessment of their patients. Standardized and interoperable data support health information exchange across health care settings to facilitate care coordination, improved health outcomes, and reduced provider burden through the reuse of appropriate health care data.

The assessment items included in the DEL originate from the following:

  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI);
  • Long-Term Care Hospital Continuity Assessment Record & Evaluation (CARE) Data Set;
  • Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Minimum Data Set (MDS);
  • Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS);
  • Hospice Item Set (HIS); and
  • Functional Assessment Standardized Items (FASI) (In Progress).

Contact Melissa Dehoff with any questions.

0 2465

In preparation for the launch of Community HealthChoices (CHC) in the Southeast region, this CHC Fact Sheet explains the delivery of service coordination through the program. Under CHC, service coordination is a function of the managed care organizations (MCOs). A service coordinator is the MCO’s designated, accountable point-of-contact for each participant receiving long-term care services, their person-centered service plan, and service coordination. Therefore, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) sees the service coordinators as part of the MCO under CHC.

In addition to the fact sheets, there are now short, easily digestible overview trainings on CHC that can be found here in order to increase stakeholder knowledge in anticipation of the Southeast rollout of the program.

To assist stakeholders in finding answers to questions more quickly, all FAQs have been consolidated into a single CHC Questions and Answers Document. The new document is in searchable PDF format and contains a table of contents that allows the user to easily move to different sections within the document.

The CHC Questions and Answers Document can be found on both the Participant and Provider sections of the CHC website by clicking on “View CHC Publications” or by following this link.

CONTACT: If you have any questions, please visit the CHC website or submit comments via email.

0 1591

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has scheduled a call on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 2:00 pm that will focus on and provide additional information about the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014. During the call, CMS will answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) on quality measures, standardized data elements, the CMS data element library, and future directions of the IMPACT Act. Members that wish to participate in the call must register. Send any questions or request assistance with registration via email.

0 2349

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a number of various inpatient rehabilitation facility patient assessment instrument (IRF PAI) resources to their website, including the RTI International Report on patient assessment data elements.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS) Proposed Rule for FY 2019: Reminder: Comments are due by June 26, 2018. See May 4, 2018 RCPA Info for additional information on the proposed provisions.

PROPOSED IRF-PAI Version 3.0: The proposed assessment tool indicates an effective date of October 1, 2019. However, the fiscal year (FY) 2019 IRF prospective payment system (PPS) proposed rule indicates it will be effective in FY 2020.

Change Table: Proposed IRF-PAI Version 3.0 – Effective October 1, 2019 (FY 2020) – Changes from Version 2.0 to 3.0: This table highlights the differences between the IRF PAI Version 3.0 and IRF PAI Version 2.0.

RTI International Report: Analyses to Inform the Potential Use of Standardized Patient Assessment Data Elements in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System: This report includes a summary by RTI on the use of  assessment data in the current IRF PPS and describes the process used to substitute data from the quality indicators sections of the IRF PA into the IRF PPS. The report also presents the case-mix groups (CMGs) and payment weights based on those elements that CMS proposes for FY 2020.

Contact Melissa Dehoff with questions.

0 2654

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the display copy of the fiscal year (FY) 2019 inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (IRF PPS) proposed rule.

Key highlights from the proposed rule:

  • Proposed Removal of FIM: Being the most significant proposal, CMS proposes to remove the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) instrument, as well as the associated Functional Modifiers, from the IRF Patient Assessment Instrument (PAI).
  • Changes to the IRF Coverage Requirements: There are several proposed changes to the coverage requirements:
    • Post-Admission Physician Evaluation: CMS is proposing allowing the post-admission physician evaluation to count towards one of the required three weekly face-to-face physician visits.
    • Physician Attendance at Interdisciplinary Team Meeting: CMS is proposing to amend the regulations to allow the rehabilitation physician leading the required interdisciplinary team meeting to attend the meeting remotely (via video conference or teleconference).
    • Admission Order Documentation Requirement: CMS is proposing to remove the requirement that there be a physician order for inpatient care when the patient is admitted since this requirement is included under the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) regulations.
    • Requests for Information on Physician Requirements: CMS is seeking information on specific areas where they can alleviate burden through changes to requirements pertaining to physician supervision in an IRF. CMS is also seeking information on the use of non-physician practitioners (NPPs) in IRFs.
  • Proposed Changes to IRF QRP – CMS is proposing to remove two measures from the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP):
    • National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Facility-wide Inpatient Hospital-onset Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Bacteremia Outcome Measure (NQF #1716); and
    • Percent of Residents or Patients Who Were Assessed and Appropriately Given the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (Short Stay) (NQF #0680).
  • Display of Functional Outcomes Measures Data on IRF Compare: CMS proposes to begin publicly displaying data on the following assessment-based measures in calendar year (CY) 2020 on IRF Compare:
    • Change in Self-Care (NQF: #2633);
    • Change in Mobility Score (NQF: #2634);
    • Discharge Self-Care Score (NQF: #2635); and
    • Discharge Mobility Score (NQF: #2636)

CMS has published a fact sheet that provides additional information on the proposed rule. The proposed rule will be published in the May 8, 2018 Federal Register, with comments being due by June 26, 2018.

0 2083

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed to improving the Medicare claims appeals process. This commitment includes the internal implementation of an expanded Settlement Conference Facilitation (SCF) program by the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA). SCF is an alternative dispute resolution process at OMHA that gives certain providers and suppliers an opportunity to resolve their eligible Part A and Part B appeals.

 

In order to educate all Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B providers and suppliers who have OMHA or Medicare Appeals Council appeals pending, an SCF Expansion Open Door Call will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 1:30 pm. The call will focus on the logistics of the SCF process and SCF eligibility criteria. Providers that plan to join the call are encouraged to submit their questions in advance via email and include “SCF May 22 Call” in the subject line. To participate, registration is required. Additionally, providers are encouraged to read the updated SCF expansion materials, including an SCF Expansion Frequently Asked Questions document, on the website.

0 1818

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued revised Change Request (CR) 10531 (MLN Matters Number: 10531). The article, “Claims Processing Actions to Implement Certain Provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018,” was revised and provides direction to Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to reprocess claims related to several provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The initial MLN article was released on March 26, 2018.

On February 9, 2018, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which contains a number of provisions that extend certain Medicare Fee For Service (FFS) policies, including Ambulance add-on payment provisions and a three percent home health Rural Add-on Payment. In addition, the Act permanently repeals the outpatient therapy caps beginning on January 1, 2018, while retaining the requirement to submit the KX modifier for services in excess of the prior cap amounts. Due to the retroactive effective dates of these provisions, various Medicare FFS claims shall be reprocessed. This CR provides guidance to MACs regarding Medicare FFS claims reprocessing requirements and time frames.

0 1956

Registration is now open for providers interested in attending a free two-day, in person training session on the inpatient rehabilitation facility quality reporting program (IRF QRP). The session, scheduled for Wednesday, May 9 –  Thursday, May 10, 2018 in Baltimore, MD will be hosted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The primary focus of this “Train-the-Trainer” event will be to provide those responsible for training staff at IRFs with information about IRF QRP changes and updates to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility–Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) v. 2.00, effective October 1, 2018. Topics will include information on new items, including those associated with the drug regimen review quality measure. Presenters will also discuss resources available on the CMS website, support available through the IRF help desks, public reporting, and use of reports to aid providers in better understanding the IRF QRP.

Additional information, including the registration page and agenda, is posted on the CMS website. Interested providers are encouraged to register as soon as possible as the in-person training is limited to the first 200 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

The training will not be available via webcast, but will be available via a link from the IRF QRP training web page after the training has completed.

0 3423

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has created a brain injury identification wallet card. The card was created as a result of a telephone call from an individual with a brain injury who moved from another state. The individual was inquiring as to whether PA had a card that could be used in emergent situations that would easily identify him as having a brain injury and his symptoms. The wallet card is available on the DOH website. The intent of the card is to provide a document for individuals with a brain injury that could be used to communicate their symptoms and emergency information to emergency personnel or the public.

Prev1...201202203...219Next Page 202 of 219
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association