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Reader Question:

Documentation, Certification Key To F2F Hospitalist Change Coming Jan. 1

Published on Tue Aug 02, 2011

2012 rule proposes to lift F2F load largely off hospital physician's shoulders. Question: Regarding the face-to-face physician encounter requirement for home care patients, "I thought the hospitalist could complete the F2F upon discharge and the certifying physician could sign the [plan of care] already. How does this proposal [in the 2012 prospective payment system proposed rule] change the current process? Does this change allow the hospitalist to contact the certifying physician to communicate their findings but then the hospitalist does not have to complete the F2F document?" -- Iowa Reader Answer: In the 2011 final PPS rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said that the hospital physician could perform the F2F encounter, but also had to furnish the F2F documentation, certify the patient for home care eligibility, and initiate orders. The community physician would merely sign the plan of care after the hospitalist handed the patient off, according to [...]
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