Author: Colleen Pierro

DPH Mandates-Electronic Submission of Plans of Correction

The MA Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality, recently announced in Circular Letter 12-12-577 effective January 1, 2013, certified facilities, agencies and providers will be required to submit Plans of Correction (POC) by email for all statements of deficiencies.

DPH has created three email addresses to ensure that POCs can be submitted to the appropriate surveyors and regions for review:

Detailed instructions for the submission of POCs by email, including the specific email address to which the POC should be sent, will be included in the cover letter to the facility for each Statement of Deficiency.

The following must be observed when submitting POCs by email:

  • Title the email “[Facility/agency name] POC for Survey Ending [date of survey]
  • Scan the POC, signed and dated, separately from any supporting documentation
  • Scan the POC and supporting documentation as separate .pdf files
  • Name the scanned files using the facility name and ending date of the survey
  • Do not send a hard copy of the POC by mail or fax when emailing a POC

When the POC is received at the appropriate email address, the agency/provider will receive an automated response indicating that the POC has been received. Addressing the email with a facility name and date of survey will generate an auto-reply email which will serve as a receipt for the initial submission of a POC, and indicate that the POC has been received by the Department and is being processed for review.

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Therapy Questions and Answers – Revised December 2012

On December 14th CMS released revised Therapy Q&As that reflect the changes for the therapy reassessment requirement from the Final Rule 2013. The provisions in this final rule are effective for episodes ending on or after January 1, 2013, unless otherwise specified in the final rule. For episodes that begin in CY 2012 and end in CY 2013, the therapy provisions of this final rule do not apply. The therapy provisions of this final rule are applicable to episodes that begin on or after January 1, 2013.

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The Joint Commission Releases 2013 National Safety Goals

The Joint Commission recently released their 2013 Home Care National Patient Safety Goals. The goals were originally established in 2002 to help accredited healthcare organizations address patient safety concerns. The goals focus on problems in health care safety and how to solve them. They are developed and updated by the Patient Safety Advisory Group, made up of healthcare professionals with hands-on experience in addressing patient safety issues.

Home Care Safety Goals

  • Improve the accuracy of patient identification.
  • Improve the safety of using medications.
  • Reduce the risk of health care–associated infections.
  • Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls.
  • The organization identifies safety risks inherent in its patient population.

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Special ODF for Hospice Providers

CMS is hosting a Special Open Door Forum for all hospice providers on December 19 from 1-2 pm EST. The Special ODF will present information about the Hospice Quality Reporting Program

Agenda Topics will include:

  • Updates about the upcoming availability of the data submission website
  • Information about how to access the data submission website and create a user account
  • Details about the data submission process
  • Question and Answer session
The Participant Dial in is: 1-800-837-1935
The Conference ID: 81540883

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Hospice Quality Reporting WebEx Now Available –Posted 12/5/2012

CMS’ Hospice Quality Reporting Program (QRP) on data entry and submission WebEx training  is now available online.  Hospice providers can view the WebEx at their convenience; no registration is required. It will remain available until April 2013. The training will help hospices prepare for web-based data entry and submission of quality data affecting the FY 2014 reimbursement rates.

The Hospice QRP Data Entry and Submission WebEx addresses how to:

  • Access the Hospice Quality Reporting Program Data Entry and Submission link
  • Register your Hospice Provider and User Account
  • Navigate the Structural Measure data entry, attestation and submission
  • Navigate the NQF #0209 Pain Measure data entry, attestation and submission
  • Access Clinical and Technical Help Desk Support

To meet the hospice quality reporting requirements in order to qualify for full payment of Medicare rates in FY 2014, hospices must submit two measures: the Structural/QAPI measure and the NQF #0209 measure. Reporting of the structural measure may begin Jan. 1, 2013, and must be completed by Jan. 31, 2013, while reporting of data on the pain measure (NQF 0209) must be completed by April 1, 2013.

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CMS’ Open Door Forum-Encore recording

Did you miss CMS’ Open Door Forum (ODF) yesterday? You still have the ability to listen to the Encore recording by dialing 1-855-859-2056 and entering the Conference ID 72193272. The recording expires after 3 business days.

Agenda for ODF

I. Opening Remarks

II. Announcements & Updates

1. Open Enrollment Announcement

2. Flu Vaccination Announcement

3. Home Health PPS – Effective Date of Therapy Provisions

4. Incorrect Patient Status Codes on Hospice Claims

5. HHCAPS

6. DMEPOS Competitive Bidding

7. Update to OASIS web-based training at: http://surveyortraining.cms.hhs.gov, addition of module, OASIS C Online Training: Patient Tracking Domain

lII. Open Q&A

 **Mark your calendars**Next ODF: Wednesday, January 9, 2013**

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CMS Releases New MLN Article

On November 26th, CMS released the Medicare Learning Network  Article- (SE1237) Importance of Preparing/Maintaining Legible Medical Records. This article highlights the importance of legible documentation in avoiding claim denials. The key points highlighted:

  1. General Principles of Medical Record Documentation
  2. Medicare Signature requirements
  3. Amendments, Corrections and Delayed Entries

If you are looking for more facts on amendments, corrections and delayed entries see the Medicare Program Integrity Manual Section 3.3.2.5. The MLN article, Complying with Medicare Signature Requirements, provides a question and answer format for information on signature regulations

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Hospice WebEx Training on Data Submission — Taken Offline

CMS put out notification last week that the WebEx training related to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) was available online.  It was available for a BRIEF time on Wednesday night and Thursday; the WebEx training is temporarily unavailable due to technical issues.  Only the Technical User Guide is available on the website. The contractor is working to correct the issues and will get the training and manual back up as quickly as possible.  The HCA will keep you updated.

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Hospice Quality Reporting WebEx Now Available

Looking for more information about the new requirements for Hospice Quality Reporting?

The CMS WebEx training module on data submission for the Hospice Quality Reporting Program is now available online.  It will remain available until April 2013. The training will help hospices prepare for web-based data entry and submission of quality data affecting the FY 2014 reimbursement rates.

To meet the hospice quality reporting requirements in order to qualify for full payment of Medicare rates in FY 2014, hospices must submit two measures: the Structural/QAPI measure and the NQF #0209 measure. Reporting of the structural measure may begin Jan. 1, 2013, and must be completed by Jan. 31, 2013, while reporting of data on the pain measure (NQF 0209) must be completed by April 1, 2013.

For more information visit Spotlight and Announcements on the Hospice Quality Reporting website.

Medicare Home Health Final Rule Issued

The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued the Home Health Final Rule on Friday, November 2nd.  The Rule updates the HH PPS rates, including the national standardized 60-day episode rates, the national per-visit rates, the low-utilization payment amount (LUPA), the non-routine medical supplies conversion factor, and outlier payments. These rates will be effective January 1, 2013. This Rule also establishes requirements for the Home Health and Hospice quality reporting programs, important policy changes on CoP Non-compliance Sanctions, and improvements on Face to Face Encounter and Therapy Assessment Rules.

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