Category Archives: Inpatient Rehab Acute Care

Late last fall, CMS posted this comment on their website, “Please be advised that CMS anticipates delays for all of the FY 2013 PC  Pricer releases (IPPS, IRF, IPF, LTCH, SNF, ESRD and HH). CMS is in the process of transitioning to new software products to support the back-end development of  all of the PC Pricers. This transition is expected…
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For some time now, several of my colleagues and I have been discussing the transformation of healthcare and how transparency, pay for performance, quality initiatives and the like will impact the way we provide healthcare for ever more.  Just this week, CMS made headway toward pushing operational information into the hands of anyone wishing to find it! The CMS News Release…
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With exactly 60 days to comment before July 1, 2013, CMS released the proposed IRF PPS Rule for fiscal year 2014, which would cover discharges on or after Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2014. The rule is referenced as CMS-1448-P and was filed 05/02/2013  with a to be published date of  05/08/2013. CMS is proposing robust updates and changes to next years IRF…
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Each year, regulatory ‘junkies’ like myself look forward to the spring AMRPA meeting because their sessions are geared to prepare facilities to meet with legislators to discuss and influence judgements through testimony related to their level of service and how they see proposed mandates affecting access to care and reimbursement. Invited guests have firsthand knowledge of everything we need to be concerned about in today’s ever-changing regulatory white…
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Investing in information systems is a costly endeavor and everyone involved asks the same question, “What will the return on investment be?” It’s no different in healthcare, and in the world of meaningful use, ROI is not discussed in terms of dollars but rather value to the organization in how these systems improve their ability to deliver on expectations or…
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Having recently returned from a sales meeting where I had the opportunity to discuss meaningful use and accountable care initiatives, I was struck by a sense of disconnect between those who use healthcare information technology and those who sell it. The focus of my discussion was upon the value of patient care as described by the change in the patient’s…
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With the first read of Pam Arlotto’s ”Rethinking Return on Investment: The Challenge of Accountable Meaningful Use,” healthcare providers are acquainted with what it will take to transform existing care delivery organizations to patient-centric, high quality, cost-efficient organizations to compete under the proposed Affordable Care Legislation.  Managing value will require a realignment of organizational culture and operations to achieve success. Management of…
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“To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191, included Administrative Simplification provisions,” reported on the Health and Human Services website. In warped speed, let me refresh the last 17 years and what has been accomplished with the various publications and rules set toward this Administrative Simplification…
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We started the MediServe Blog Feb. 1, 2011. We developed lists for needed content, discussion points and various items we should discuss within content.  Then we created the dreaded ‘quota.’  By all other definitions quota is the established number one must perform to meet the specified objective! OK, too technical; it was the minimum number we should complete so there…
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Pam Arlotto began her book,  ”Rethinking Return on Investment: The Challenge of Accountable Meaningful Use“  with the recognition that healthcare transformation requires not only changing how care is delivered but changing the mindset of those charged with delivering it.  Patient care value is described as how technology is used and the meaning of that use as measured by the change…
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