The Hurricane Ima weather disaster claimed the lives of nine nursing home residents in Florida who died as a result of lack of A/C due to power outages and non-working backup generators. In Texas, Hurricane Harvey brought attention to the fact that an El Paso, Texas, nursing home had no plan for how to bring wheelchair-dependent people down flights of stairs, while many others had to wade through waist-deep floodwaters to exit the facilities. As a result of these disturbing occurrences, … [Read more...] about Nursing Home Disaster Preparation Under Scrutiny, Evaluated by Senators
Billing for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review Assessments and Services
Information Letter No. 17-20 - Addressed to Nursing Facility Providers on how to bill for Therapies, Customized Manual Wheel Chairs (CMWC) and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) reimbursed through the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program at HHSC. Nursing facility providers must review the resident’s Medicaid Eligibility and Service Authorization Verification (MESAV) to verify a service authorization has beencreated and to determine which service code was used. Nursing facility … [Read more...] about Billing for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review Assessments and Services
Hospice Care Website lists 777 Hospice Agencies in Texas
For terminally ill patients and their loved ones, finding the right Hospice care can be a daunting decision. Options for quality and strength of the facility providing end-of-life care in the Texas depends on the hospice chosen, according to data released from Medicare data released by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (CMMS). Now available to the public, the “Hospice Compare” website — at medicare.gov/hospicecompare — displays information on almost 3,900 hospices nationwide.The … [Read more...] about Hospice Care Website lists 777 Hospice Agencies in Texas
CMS, HHS Roll out Emergency Efforts Help Texas and Louisiana with Hurricane Harvey Recovery
According to reports Hurricane Harvey 25 dumped trillions of gallons of water which required evacuation of thousands of residents from over 95 nursing centers and assisted living communities in Texas. A public health emergencies has been declared in both Texas and Louisana and healthcare providers are temporarily waiving or modifying certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements to provide immediate relief to hurricane Harvey’s victims in flood devastated … [Read more...] about CMS, HHS Roll out Emergency Efforts Help Texas and Louisiana with Hurricane Harvey Recovery
Temporary Extension of Medicaid for Certain Intellectual Developmental Disability Waiver Program Recipients
Information Letter No. 17-19DADS has published the latest information letter regarding Temporary Extension of Medicaid for Certain Intellectual Developmental Disability Waiver Program Recipients Who Lose Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. With a denial of SSI, Medicaid is automatically ended. This letter is for informational purposes regarding a process change affecting certain individuals receiving waiver services and does not affect the providers’ or local intellectual developmental … [Read more...] about Temporary Extension of Medicaid for Certain Intellectual Developmental Disability Waiver Program Recipients
Failure to Deliver PASRR Services – Level I Screening and Level II Evaluation Assessments
Provider Letter No. 17-15 - DAD'S latest provider letter addressing Nursing Facilities reports on clarification that the role of the nursing facility (NF) is to coordinate completion of the Level I screening and Level II evaluation assessments with appropriate entities. The letter reports:Nursing Facilities must comply with both state and federal requirements related to Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR). This includes coordinating with appropriate entities to ensure completion … [Read more...] about Failure to Deliver PASRR Services – Level I Screening and Level II Evaluation Assessments
CMS Launches New Hospice Care Website for Families, Physicians and their Patients.
In a new press release, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially announced the opening of their Hospice Compare website. The website which focuses on palliative and end of life care was designed to improve transparency, the consumer experience and empower patients. giving families, patients and the physicians who care for them a reliable resource and "snapshot" of the quality of care a hospice facility provides, as well as information related to health care decisions. The … [Read more...] about CMS Launches New Hospice Care Website for Families, Physicians and their Patients.
When Dying is Profitable. Practice of Hospice patients being discharged before death linked to higher profits for facilities
In the past years, there has been a major increase in for-profit hospices and according to a study published last month in the journal Health Affairs titled: “A Positive Association Between Hospice Profit Margin And The Rate At Which Patients Are Discharged Before Death.” The study was researched from a sample of 1,439 freestanding hospices, as well as for-profit, chain-owned and nonprofit facilities, and their live discharge rates. The report found that live discharge rate rose from 2000 t0 … [Read more...] about When Dying is Profitable. Practice of Hospice patients being discharged before death linked to higher profits for facilities
Status on Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreement
A coalition of states has joined together to oppose the Administration proposal to end the ban on pre-dispute arbitration agreements used by nursing homes. This band arises from a final rule promulgated in October of 2016. Meanwhile, though the American Health Care Association supports ending the ban, it also opposes other provisions seeking to impose more regulation on the agreements themselves and submitted those in comments to the proposed new rule. … [Read more...] about Status on Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreement
Alert: All Providers Are Required To Redo Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR) Searches
Provider Letter No. 17-23 - DADS is directing providers to immediately redo all EMR searches conducted during this two-month period ( From June 9, 2017, through July 27, 2017) to verify the employability of any individuals they have hired. If a search result now shows that an individual is listed in the EMR, then the individual is not eligible to continue employment in a DADS-regulated facility or agency or any facility or agency governed by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 253. Every … [Read more...] about Alert: All Providers Are Required To Redo Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR) Searches