At the end of 2011, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) came out with new regulatory changes. We are providing these suggested changes to our clients as their admission books are reprinted:
HOME HEALTH –
Homebound definition clarified!
In response to Office of Inspector General (OIG) recommendations to the Home Health Benefit Policy Manual, CMS published their final rule clarifying the definition of “confined to the home” (e.g. homebound status). [Federal Register, 11/14/11 Final Rule, HH PPS Update for 2012, Clarification to Benefit Policy Manual Language, eff. 1/1/12]
Face-to-face encounter modified!
CMS revised its face-to-face requirements allowing a physician who has seen a patient in an acute or post-acute setting within 30 days prior to the initiation of home care to conduct the face-to-face encounter and provide clinical findings to the certifying physician. [CMS 1353-F, HH Face-to-Face Encounter, 11/4/11, eff. 1/1/12]
HOSPICE –
Face-to-face encounter modified!
CMS published clarifying language for the Hospice Medicare Benefit related to face-to-face encounters, stipulating that Medicare hospice beneficiaries who refuse the face-to-face encounter prior to the third benefit period will no longer be illegible for hospice care under the Medicare Hospice Benefit. [Federal Register, Vol 76, No 150, Section 418.22, Certification of Terminal Illness, 12/2/11, eff. 1/1/12]
ALL BOOKS –
Updated Federal Disposal Guidelines!
Our Federal Disposal Guidelines have been updated to include language related to the FDA’s most recently published efforts to decrease the likelihood of diversion of controlled drugs/narcotics.
Cathy Green, RN
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs • MedForms, Inc.
