C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency The last few weeks have been a whirlwind with the Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) trainings across the country. The focus is on the phases of the Requirements of Participation as well as the Regulatory and Survey climate. Skilled Nursing Facilities are working diligently to implement the changes.  ...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Esther Nederhood, Owner of Belle Oakes Assisted Living Center Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Esther Nederhood, Owner of Belle Oakes Assisted Living Center, in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Esther discusses working with a mostly rural popu...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency The annual PEPPER report for SNFs is released 4/9/18.  To access, log on to the TMF website at:  https://securefile.tmf.org/  Risk Areas are present in every healthcare organization.  Skilled Nursing Facilities must perform Risk Assessments to determine, rank and prioritize focus areas for their annual c...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Don Pelligrino, CEO and Owner of Bridgeway Healthcare Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Don Pelligrino, CEO and Owner of Bridgeway Healthcare in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Don discusses his staffing challenges in the ever-changing regulat...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Gerald Hamilton, Owner of Bee Hive Homes Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Gerald Hamilton, Owner of Bee Hive Homes in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Gerald discusses how his assisted living facilities are seeing a sicker, albeit better-infor...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency As a final Blog on the SNF Assessments series, here is an overview of the Discharge Assessments.  There are 3 Assessments to address:  OBRA Discharge Assessment – Return Anticipated  OBRA Discharge Assessment – Return Not Anticipated  Medicare-Required Part A PPS Discharge Assessment 

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Unscheduled Assessments  Last week we reviewed the PPS MDS Scheduled Assessments required for Medicare Part A Billing.  Often, situations arise in which the MDS Coordinator must complete an assessment outside of the planned assessments.  These types of assessments are known in the industry as “Unschedul...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency While the Skilled Nursing Facility prepares for Payment Reform in the form of a bundled payment or RCS-1, the facility clinical teams need to ensure that the basics of the current PPS System are completed correctly and timely.  The Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) Team who travel the country (Harmon...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency As a follow up to the webinar Friday March 16, 2018, here is a narrative of the discussion of the modes of therapy and the related MDS Guidelines form section of the RAI Manual:  1.  Minutes of Therapy 2.  Non-Skilled Services3.  Co-Treatment4.  Therapy Aides5.  Therapy Students6.  Individual Therapy7.  ...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Therapy Services (PT/OT/ST) rendered in SNF are subject to the parameters outlined in the Medicare Benefit Policy, Chapter 8.  Specifically, the daily skills, knowledge and judgement of therapist are necessary for the provision of said services as no other caregiver is qualified to render the interventio...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency This week’s trend for questions on HarmonyHelp include the 3-night qualifying stay for Medicare Part A Benefits in a (SNF) Skilled Nursing Facility.

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency The primary goal of therapeutic intervention when utilizing any therapeutic device or modality is to increase functional independence, improve functional abilities and enhance mobility utilizing the least restrictive intervention.

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Respiratory Therapy rendered in a Skilled Nursing Facility Nurse is a common area of discussion related to the coding the MDS.  Accuracy impacts aspects of the both the Medicare Part A and Medicaid Case Mix reimbursement system. This subject matter consistently generates questions from all over the countr...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency New SNFABN (Form CMS-10055) for Medicare Part AABN (Form CMS-R-131) for Medicare Part B

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency The Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) Team is seeing a need to review the definition of Physical Restraints.   Surveyors across the country have a heightened focus on restraint reduction so this topic is a priority. First and foremost, Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) recommends a comprehensive...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Glenn Van Ekeren, President of Vetter Health Services Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Glenn Van Ekeren, President of Vetter Health Services in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Glenn discusses the standards he set for his thirty facilities in ...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Thank you for the record breaking attendance at the “Free Key Friday” monthly webinar (3rd Friday of the month) last week 2.9.18. The webinar spurred multiple questions that are beneficial to share with all of our blog subscribers.  Is this new classification for all states nationwide?  Yes, the Res...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Robert Van Dyk, President and CEO at Van Dyk Health Care Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Robert Van Dyk, the President and CEO of Van Dyk Health Care in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Robert shares his key tips for being a successful health...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency The Medicare Part B Caps eliminated!  This is exceptional news and all of the healthcare associations are commended on their diligent work and representation on behalf of:  Beneficiaries Occupational Therapists Speech Therapists Healthcare Providers Community 

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Congress recessed for 2017 without enacting legislation to address the Medicare “Extender Payment Policies”, including the Medicare Part B Cap.  These policies expired on December 31, 2017 indicating that on January 1, 2018, SNFs are under the prior capswithout any cap exceptions based on patient need.  

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Flashback Friday Interview with Comedian and New England Patriots' Fan, Lenny Clarke With Super Bowl Sunday just a few days away we thought we would share an interesting interview from Harmony15.  Famous Boston Comedian and HUGE New England Patriots Fan Lenny Clarke stopped by our “Coffee With Kris” stud...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Leadership involves constant communication, education and reinforcement of clinical and operational expectations.  Knowledge of state and federal regulations are the foundation for reimbursement and treatment guidelines.  Explaining the difference between therapy evaluations and therapy treatments may se...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency In the quest for accurate and appropriate reimbursement the industry is faced with complex tasks including ARD Selection, Minute Management and ADL Coding, to name a few.  The Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) Team has a message for all of you:  “Get back to Basics.”

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Fred Benjamin, President of Skilled Nursing at Lexington Health Network Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Fred Benjamin, the President of Skilled Nursing at Lexington Health Network, in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Fred discusses how the ne...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency First and foremost, this blog post is spurred by the recent modification of two forms used for the survey process.  

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Judi Kulus, Vice President of Curriculum Development at AANAC Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Judi Kulus, the Vice President of Curriculum Development at the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC), in the 2017 AHCA Pro...

C.A.R.E. Compliance • Audits/Analysis • Reimbursement/Regulatory • Education/Efficiency Interview with Faye Haverlock, Owner/Manager of Okeechobee Health Care Facility Kris Mastrangelo, President of Harmony Healthcare International (HHI) interviews Faye Haverlock, Owner/Manager of Okeechobee Health Care Facility in Okeechobee, Florida, in the 2017 AHCA Provider Lounge.  Faye has built a "Go...