It’s hard to believe, but summer is just around the corner. And we all know what that means…barbecues, beaches…and PDPM preparation! Wherever you sit on the readiness scale, it’s important to dispel a few of the misconceptions about PDPM, so you’re building and executing against a sound strategy based in reality and practicality, not hype….
The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) went into effect this January for therapists—ushering in a new era of incentive-based payments for eligible physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs) and speech language pathologists (SLPs). It’s a major change for the industry and will force participating therapists to reassess every aspect of their practice to ensure they…
Older adults have a few insurance options for healthcare, one of which is Medicare Advantage (MA). MA plans provide coverage for traditional Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance), and often provide additional benefits, such as prescription drugs, vision and dental care. The main difference is that MA plans are offered…
Maintaining happy customers who enjoy the full value of their investment in a company’s products and services should be the priority for every software company. It would seem intuitive, but not all companies have such a customer-focused mindset. Read what Optima’s EVP of client services, Christine Jones, has to say about the importance of client…
In early February 2018, President Trump signed a two-year budget deal that ended a second, brief government shutdown within the first two months of the year. In that massive two-year budget deal was a win for millions of Medicare beneficiaries — the repeal of permanent caps on various forms of therapy under Medicare Part B….
2017 has proven to be a busy year for the hospice industry. With increased mergers and acquisitions and overall industry growth, this sector has become “one to watch” in healthcare. According to the latest Home Care Market Report, more than 4,000 agencies are now offering hospice care nationwide, providing care to 1.34 million annually. The…
As mandated by the Affordable Care Act, prior to certifying a patient’s eligibility for the home health benefit, a physician or a permitted non-physician practitioner (NPP) must provide documentation of a face-to-face (F2F) encounter with a patient to demonstrate his/her knowledge of the patient’s condition, and the need for home health skilled services. Despite being…
How will a hospice or long-term care facility respond in the event that its city is evacuated due to hurricane warnings? Where will patients receive the care they need? How will family members be notified of any necessary move? As many of us recover from recent hurricanes, the damage these natural disasters have caused is…
Nursing turnover is a problem that many nurse managers and Directors of Nursing are aware of, but often struggle to overcome at their home health agencies. Nurses are retiring at a faster rate than new registered nurses (RNs) are entering the workforce, yet the demand for in-home care is at an all-time high as aging…
How do consumers find the quality of hospice care that best suits their needs? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) answered this question by unveiling its hospice comparison site, Hospice Compare. Hospice providers should take careful note of how they are rated on the website. The Hospice Compare website is designed to help…