Category Archives: Outpatient Rehab

CMS has heard them too!  So many myths in fact that they just published a document on December 18 called, “RAC Program Myths.“ It was put together in a very familiar question and answer type format. I’ve heard a few of these myths and have blogged on several of these topics; perhaps you want the real answer.  I encourage you to…
Read More

Long-term care and post-acute care facilities are not officially eligible to take part in the Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Program.  However, many facilities are still closely watching the quality measures and health IT standards called for in the program. The proposed meaningful use requirements for Stage 3 will focus upon care coordination and sharing of information across the care continuum….
Read More

Measurable outcomes. If every clinician’s evaluation did not end up in a resultant assessment and expected measurable outcome then what purpose was the evaluation in the first place?  Notice I did say ‘expected measurable outcome.’  How often do staff cleanly define the minutia of detailed impairments but forget that the end result of that assessment is the major factor for…
Read More

Following our outpatient therapy webinar on November 28, there were a lot of questions about how this program would be implemented. I contacted CMS and forwarded staff the entire list of questions I received throughout the webinar in hopes they can clarify for their webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Registration for that webinar can be located at: CMS CBOR Open Door…
Read More

I often get the opportunity to listen to the workflows and ‘ideal’ aspirations of those that chart on a daily basis in healthcare because of my position at MediServe. I get to work alongside innovation driven individuals moving to the next step of rehabilitation documentation. Everyone has some skin in the game and each discipline has very specific expectations. After…
Read More

Countless reasons have been proposed why electronic clinical records are slow in finding use in rehabilitation hospitals. From physician concerns about workflow to extreme costs, the issues mount and inhibit adoption of EHR systems. One can speculate the most important reason why clinicians are reluctant to adopt clinical IT systems is a perceived lack of added value. Clinicians are quick…
Read More

The last time I wrote about the new CMS reporting requirements for outpatient rehabilitation services about to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013, I referred to the issue as practicing in the code of  ‘G.’  Now that the CMS screws become tightened, and practice change becomes reality, these reporting requirements take on new meaning as politicians, policymakers and bureaucrats…
Read More

Making decisions without reliable data is a costly and indefensible mistake in today’s healthcare environment. Clinical skills and professional tenure alone will not improve the performance of hospital systems to meet the changing expectations of value-based purchasing. The hospital’s performance is dependent upon much more than the average FIM™ change or CMI average and yet managers fail to influence performance…
Read More

As with most, I have followed the standard that a patient must demonstrate functional improvement to be eligible for Medicare payment in post-acute rehabilitation settings.  Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) agreed to changing this standard by recognizing that “maintaining” vs. “improving” a patient’s functional status is equally valid to justify eligibility for rehabilitation services.  This…
Read More

“Is there a doctor in the house?” If a survey conducted by The Physicians Foundation is true, the answer may soon be “no.” According to a recent piece from the American Hospital Association’s Physician Leadership Forum, of the more than 13,000 physicians surveyed, 60 percent say they would quit today if they could. More immediately troubling, the survey indicates that…
Read More