800-954-8250

Agency Productivity

Shelter-in-Place. Self-quarantine. Telehealth. Work-from-home. Zoom Meetings.  Microsoft Teams. Google Hangouts. Conference Calls.  Limited gatherings. COVID-19. Today’s home healthcare seems to reflect all the above changing work environments. We have seen the impact on patient care and the quick implementation of telehealth visits for home health in the name of flattening the curve, but the impact of COVID-19 goes beyond our patients. 

On November 4, 2020 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for 2021. Overall the changes this year were minimal since this was the first year for the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and there is not enough data to support significant changes. Furthermore, the COVID pandemic affected industry operations which mitigated reform to the PDGM payment structure. Agencies should review the changes affecting their operations from the fifty-nine-page rule, but here is a quick glance at the updates:

Can home health care agencies bill Medicare Part B for outpatient services? 

 

Outpatient Therapy Services BillingYes. According to CMS, outpatient therapy services may be provided by a home health agency to patients who are not homebound or otherwise are not receiving services under a home health plan of care (POC). These services are not paid under the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS). The reimbursement for the outpatient therapy services is calculated using the Medicare Physician’s Fee Schedule (MPFS).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and State Survey Agencies (SSAs) are conducting targeted infection control surveys of select home health and hospice providers to ensure providers are following proper infection control practices during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Organizations are being identified for the surveys through collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

Using Home Health Software Can Reduce Person-to-Person Contact & Facilitate Remote Work Across the country these past several days, many states are implementing stay-at-home or essential-travel only orders for their citizens. For Home Health professionals, the encouragement to practice social distancing to protect ourselves, our families...

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the healthcare sector and the businesses that operate within it consistently since its onset. At ALORA, we continue to serve our customers & partners at the highest level. In this blog we outline some of the things we are doing to ensure business continuity, employee safety, and customer service through the challenges the Coronavirus continues to present...

The Power of Simplicity

 

Choosing a Home Health Software that Works for Your Agency

 

Is it mobile responsive? Will I be able to collect caregiver and patient signatures electronically? Can I complete visit notes on or offline? Does it have EVV?  How many licenses do I need? Does it handle skilled care? Will it handle non-skilled homecare? How many features does it have? How expensive is it going to be? Can it handle multiple business lines? Does it have Telephony? Will it work for Private Duty? Can I use it for Hospice? Is the support free? What is the onboarding process? Do I have to sign a contract? Can it bill for all payers? Is it easy to learn? Is it easy to use for caregivers? Will it work for Home Health Aide visits?

These are just SOME of the questions you might be thinking about as you begin your search for the best Home Health Software for your agency. Maybe your agency has just opened, or you could be established with multiple branches...in either case, some of your core questions are still the same.