Hello, everyone!

Here are some home health related updates for this week:

AMITY’S NEWS

SPECIAL NEW CLIENT OFFER FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER (JUST 1 WEEK LEFT!): If you subscribe to both, Skill Competency Program and Ongoing Training/Continued Education Management Program, you will receive 50% discount off the skilled competencies competed in the month of October.

Don’t forget, Ongoing Training/Continued Education Management Program is only $3.00 per user per month!!!)

Next available CNA/HHA and Skilled Nursing Competency  is Tuesday, October 27, 2020 and Thursday, October 29, 2020.

If you would like to register your Skilled Nurses and/or HHAs/CNAs for a competency, please follow the links below:

Skilled Nursing Competency: https://amityhealthcaregroup.com/services/nursing-competencies/

HHA/CNA Competency:  https://amityhealthcaregroup.com/services/cna-hha-competency/

Let Amity Healthcare Group to assist you with staying compliant with competency and ongoing training/continued education requirements in a worry-free manner.

For more information, please call 303-690-2749 or email: ig@amityhealthcaregroup.com or schedule a meeting at https://calendly.com/ig–3/30-min-free-consultation.

NATIONAL NEWS

Home Health Ordering/Referring Requirements

According to the article published by CGS on October 20, 2020 the common claims denial reason codes associated with home health ordering/referring requirements include the following:

• The attending physician NPI on the claim is not found in the eligible attending physician file from PECOS;
• The attending physician NPI on the claim is found in the eligible attending physician file from PECOS but the name on the claim does not match the name in the PECOS file;

As the result, CGS would like to remind home health providers of the following:

“Home health services must be ordered or referred by a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) or Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). The physician who orders/refers a patient for home health care must be enrolled in the Medicare program, and have an enrollment record in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS).

Note: Section 3708 of the CARES Act allows a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant who is working in accordance with State law to order or refer home health services. This applies to claims with a claim through date on or after March 1, 2020.”

For the complete article, please  go to: https://cgsmedicare.com/hhh/pubs/news/2020/10/cope19271.html

Accelerated/Advanced Payment -Repayment Process

As of October 8, 2020, CMS will no longer accept new applications for accelerated or advance payments as they relate to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

Note: Providers who were issued an accelerated or advance payment were sent a notification letter with the following information:

• Accelerated or advance payment amount(s)
• Date the repayment will begin
• Accounts receivable number(s)
• Timeline for repayment

Please be on lookout for the notification letters. If you received accelerated or advance payments and have not received a notification letter, please contact your MAC.

COLORADO NEWS

Attention Pediatric Home Health Providers!

Effective November 2, 2020, Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) will begin accepting Prior Authorization Requests (PARs) for Synagis®.

Synagis Vaccine is used to prevent serious lower respiratory tract disease caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in pediatric members at high risk for RSV disease. Synagis® is administered by intramuscular injections, at 15mg per kg of body weight, once a month during expected periods of RSV frequency in the community.

The 2020-2021 Synagis® season will begin November 16, 2020, and end April 16, 2021.

Although the PAR requirement for Pediatric Long- Term Home Health is currently suspended, if the member is currently receiving Home Health services, then the agency is able to administer the Synagis® injections in compliance with Colorado Rules and Regulations. The home health agency will bill for administration, not for the Synagis® itself. The Synagis® will be billed through the pharmacy. These visits cannot exceed five (5) standard registered nurse (RN) visits.

Please do not hesitate to reach out for any assistance or questions via email, phone or website at  https://amityhealthcaregroup.com/resources/

If you wish to forward this email to your colleague or friend, please feel free to do so. If you received this message as a forward, we invite you to subscribe to our communications at https://amityhealthcaregroup.com/ (look for “Subscribe to Listserv” in the top corner). If you wish to unsubscribe from this email distribution list, please email to eg@amityhealthcaregroup.com

Thank you,

Irina Gorovaya, RN BSN, MBA

Amity Healthcare Group, LLC

Home Health Consulting, Education and Outsourcing Services

720-353-7249 (cell)   303-690-3749 (office)   720-398-6200 (fax)