Tag: templates

WASHINGTON - What's to come of all of those draft clinical templates that CMS released in 2018?There seemed to be a flurry of them last year, but the agency's efforts in this area go back years, including a template for prostheses in 2013.“We're hoping this year to really push them on this,” said Kim Brummett, vice president of regulatory affairs for AAHomecare. “The thing with CMS is that everything takes so long, so we plan to continue to pressure them.”When stakeholders...

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare is looking to add to its payer relations team. The association is recruiting a director of payer relations to join Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations. “As enrollment in Medicaid programs and in Medicare Advantage plans continues to rise, AAHomecare and our state association partners have been working non-stop to maintain sustainable reimbursement rates and to educate state legislators, regulators and plan administrators on the value of HME to their constituents,”...

WASHINGTON - CMS will host a Special Open Door Forum to allow feedback on draft templates and clinical data elements for parenteral nutritional therapy (order, progress note and lab test results) and enteral nutritional therapy (order and progress note). The forum is scheduled for May 31 at 2 p.m. EST. CMS recently released draft templates and CDEs for RADs, PAPs and vents; infusion pumps and nebulizers; and oxygen therapy. To participate in the forum call 800-837-1935 and use the ID 8778137.

WASHINGTON - CMS unveiled the first drafts of clinical templates for respiratory-related items at a Special Open Door Forum April 19.The templates, as well as suggested clinical data elements, are for respiratory assist devices (order, face-to-face encounter and lab results); positive airway pressure devices (order and face-to-face encounter); and ventilators (order and face-to-face encounter).The templates, which are strictly voluntary, are designed to assist providers with medical documentation...

WASHINGTON - CMS will once again hold a Special Open Door Forum on templates and clinical data elements for respiratory related items this Thursday at 3 p.m. EST. The agency says the purpose of the forum is to allow physicians, provider and supplier professional associations, and/or all other interested parties to provide feedback on the most recent draft templates and CDEs that are currently posted on the CMS website. The templates and CDEs are meant to assist with documenting face-to-face encounters,...

 Q. What do therapists think about conducting exams?A. Many physicians choose to defer to a physical or occupational therapist to conduct an appropriate mobility evaluation.I often ask PTs/OTs what they use to successfully document a comprehensive mobility exam. It seems there are five distinct answers yielding different outcomes and results.1. The therapist is not comfortable conducting a specialty mobility exam or it is not part of their regular practice.2. The therapist uses a word document...

A. Suppliers can realize significant cost savings by reducing delivery turnaround times when electronic prescribing and documentation tools are used.Complex mobility suppliers seem to be constantly grappling with how to deliver equipment at a faster rate than what might be humanly possible. We already know the faster the patient gets the equipment, the better the patient outcome. The process now takes between 90 and 120 days. Using an electronic prescribing tool that communicates via secure cloud-based...

A. I thought the question regarding the use of templates for physician documentation was put to bed long ago. However, it seems I was wrong.In fact, the use of templates has not only been authorized by CMS, it has also cleared legal review by multiple national law firms.For now, let's review the guidance by CMS that clearly delineates the use of templates for power mobility devices.One can refer to Appendix F: Progress Notes and Forms (Definition and guidelines about tools/interfaces that assisting...

A. Interoperability conjures up a vision of some esoteric system straight out of Star Wars. However, it has such incredible value as to be vital in health care today.The idea of a computer cloud system that can exchange and interpret vast amounts of data almost seems unreal, yet it is being used by almost every physician and hospital electronic record system. Through meaningful use testing in the last seven years, these systems must pass information back and forth among different...

When it comes to using templates confusion reigns. So HME News reached out to Michael Blakey to clear a few things up. Blakey, president of DMEevalumate, says he's excited that the conversation around templates has evolved to the point where providers are asking what they are and if they should be embracing them.HME News: So, can HME providers use templates or not?Michael Blakey: They are certainly allowed. With all the noise surrounding competitive bidding, the face-to-face requirement and the PMD...