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OASIS Alert

Item Focus:
M1200: Don't Be Blinded by Low Vision Case Mix Points
Avoid these common upcoding and downcoding mistakes. You can earn up to three case mix po... Read more
Get the M1200 Case Mix Breakdown
Do you know how much your M1200 inaccuracies are costing you? It could be more than $600 p... Read more
Assessment Strategies:
Try these M1200 Assessment Techniques
Ask the Right Questions You know you need to know whether your patient has a visual impai... Read more
Tool:
Nail Leg Ulcer Types with This Chart
Know what to look for with stasis, arterial, and ulcers caused by peripheral neuropathy. ... Read more
Assessment:
Get Down to OASIS Basics for Most Accurate Reimbursement
One tip yields improved case mix scores and better reporting. Understanding each OASIS i... Read more
Quiz:
Test Your M1410 Skills
Check your assumptions about oxygen use. OASIS item M1410 -- Respiratory Treatments ... Read more
ICD-9 Diagnosis Coding:
Welcome New Detail for Late Effects, Glaucoma, and Cardio Codes
Don't forget to update your memory loss coding practices. ICD-9 2012 ushered in a slew of... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Beef up Your Laptop and Facebook Security Procedures
Take a closer look at these HIPAA security risks. With HIPAA enforcement looking to ramp u... Read more
Compliance:
Gear Up for OIG's Spotlight on OASIS Data
OIG work plan adds 5 new HHA topics to 4 existing ones. Monitoring home health agencies w... Read more
Industry notes:
RAC Audits Will Impact Medicaid Claims Jan. 1, CMS Says
You've benefited from several delays to Medicaid RAC audits, but Jan. 1 will be a day of r... Read more
Reader Question:
Look to WOCN for Leg Ulcer Gudiance
Question: How do we answer the OASIS stasis ulcer questions when the patient diagnoses in... Read more
Item Focus:
M1024: Keep Your Eye on Case Mix Diagnoses for Accurate Reimbursement
Do you know the three situations in which it's appropriate to complete M1024? You have an... Read more
M1024:
Expert Sheds Some Light on Risk Adjustment Grey Area
Must you sacrifice risk adjustment to CMS's letter of the law? At one time, there was an ... Read more
Clip & Save:
Deploy this Tool to Help Decrease Hospitalization
Don't wait until you have time to make your own screening tool. Try this one.  ... Read more
Wound Care:
Master Healing Status of Stasis Ulcers or Risk Losing $367 Per Episode
Avoid the one response you can never list in M1334. If your responses to the OASIS stasis ... Read more
Know Your Ulcer Types
There are two types of ulcers that receive special attention on the OASIS assessment ... Read more
Keep Wound Healing Criteria Handy for M1334
When responding to OASIS questions about the healing status of wounds, look to this guidan... Read more
Home Health Compare:
Get the Latest from CMS on Nonambulatory Fall Risk
Response from CMS leaves agencies wondering. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv... Read more
Face To Face:
OASIS Guidance Brings Troubling F2F News
Confusion persists over how to handle a missed encounter and the start of care. A recent O... Read more
ICD-9:
Prepare for a Slew of New Case Mix Codes in 2012
Welcome improved dementia reporting. If you thought you'd have minimal 2012 ICD-9 updates... Read more
Industry Notes:
Don't waste your time with an extra face-to-face visit when you don't have to.
That's the takeaway from a recent question-and-answer issued by Medicare Administrative C... Read more
Reader Question:
Get Straight on Reverse Staging
Question: I know that Stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers never heal and should always be repor... Read more
Item Focus:
M1020/M1022: Keep Your Primary Diagnoses in Order for Most Accurate Reporting
Don't base principal diagnosis on number of visits by discipline. Accurately reporting you... Read more
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Track Diagnosis Case Mix Points with This Chart
After the 2008 PPS revamp, figuring out the impact of listing a case mix diagnosis in M10... Read more
Make the Right Choice with Symptom Control Ratings
For each diagnosis you list in M1020 or M1022, you'll also need to report the numeric cod... Read more
Assessment:
M2020: Give Your Oral Medication Management Approach a Tune-Up
Tip: New online training from CMS offers instruction on all OASIS medication questions. Im... Read more
Prospective Payment System:
Hypertension Codes No Longer Predict Costs, CMS Says
Use of 401.9 more than doubled in last five years. The Centers for Medicare & Medicai... Read more
Home Health Compare:
Reconsider How You Answer M1910
Confusion over a standardized tool for this population is resulting in falling scores. Wh... Read more
ICD-9/ICD-10 Crosswalk
Look for Simpler Hypertension Coding in ICD-10 The rules you'll follow for assigning hype... Read more
ICD-9:
Prepare for a Slew of New Case Mix Codes to Report in M1020/M1022/M1024 Come 2012
Welcome improved dementia reporting. If you thought the 2012 ICD-9 updates would be minima... Read more
HIPAA:
Travel Safely with OASIS Patient Data
Make sure you maintain your HIPAA compliance on the road. Protecting your patients' privat... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Focus On Your Laptop's Physical Security
You can minimize the risk of people inadvertently seeing protected health information on y... Read more
Industry Note:
Falls May Indicate Early Alzheimer's
Your patients who you assess as at risk for falls may be in the early stages of Alzheimer'... Read more
Reader Question
Question: Our clinician reported an ostomy as a surgical wound in the OASIS M1340, Surgic... Read more
Item Focus:
M1324: Take 3 Steps to Stage Most Problematic Pressure Ulcer
Hint: You'll list NA in only three circumstances. Accurately staging your patient's most ... Read more
Get CMS' Answers to Your Pressure Ulcer Questions
There always seem to be situations that aren't easily reported in M1324. Through the quar... Read more
Train and Verify to Ace Pressure Ulcer Stages
If you don't develop a tool for pressure ulcer staging and verify that all staff is on the... Read more
Assessment:
Skin Assessment or Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessments -- Do You Know the Difference?
You won't gather the most accurate information when you do risk assessments at SOC. Conduc... Read more
3 Tips Guide Your Way to Better Pressure Ulcer Risk and Skin Assessment
Documenting your patient's skin status helps paint an accurate picture of the care your a... Read more
Tool:
Try These Interventions for Pressure Ulcer Prevention
Avoid massaging reddened bony prominences. If the pressure ulcer risk assessment you've co... Read more
Quiz:
Test Your OASIS Q&A Knowledge
Can a pharmacist provide drug education intervention? Get ready: The July 2011 Quarterly ... Read more
ICD-9:
Advice Clears Up Your Pressure Ulcer Coding Confusion
Hint: Always code stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers. Coding correctly for pressure ulcers in M... Read more
Get the Answers to our OASIS Q&A Quiz
Do you have your answers to the quiz on page 92 ready? Read on to check them against the l... Read more
Clip and Save:
Manage OASIS-C, Diagnosis Coding Pressure Ulcer Conflicts
Do you know when a grafted pressure ulcer becomes a surgical wound? OASIS-C logic and ICD... Read more
ICD-10:
Welcome Laterality and All-Inclusive Stage and Site Pressure Ulcer Codes in ICD-10
More codes don't make pressure ulcer coding more complicated. In ICD-9, to code for a pre... Read more
Industry Notes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposes to cut home health agency prosp... Read more
Item Focus:
M1860: Glide Through Ambulation Assessment with New Guidance
Does absence of a wheelchair limit your response options? Accurately scoring your patient... Read more
Assessment:
Get Expert Answers to Solve Your Pressure Ulcer Mysteries
Do you know which treatment turns a pressure ulcer into a surgical wound? Answering M1320 ... Read more
Outcomes:
Take a Two-Tiered Approach to Prevent Outcome Surprises
Improve your outcomes before they cast a poor light on your agency. Wondering what exactly... Read more
5 Tips Help You Master M1320
You set the criteria for most problematic. When it comes to answering M1320 (Status of mo... Read more
Communication:
Start with Office Staff to Improve Physician Communication
Establish a rapport with office staff to hasten communication improvement. Better communi... Read more
OASIS News:
Get the Latest OASIS Updates from CMS
Don't miss this free medication item training opportunity. You don't want to miss the cri... Read more
Give Your Communication Techniques a Check Up
Put an end to phone tag. Already using an SBAR tool to plan your communication with physi... Read more
ICD-9 Coding:
Avoid These V Code Errors and Keep Your Reimbursement Accurate
Watch your sequencing or pay the price. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ... Read more
Tool:
Try this Tailor-Made SBAR for Streamlined Communication
Gather your thoughts with this handy form before contacting the physician. If you're read... Read more
ICD-10 Coding:
Watch for Two Kinds of Excludes in ICD-10 Aftercare Codes
New notes clear up blurred exclusion instructions. While many coding conventions will rem... Read more
Industry Notes
If you're a new provider and didn't start submitting submitting OASIS data by June 30 you... Read more
Item Focus:
M1850: Get the Latest Word on Transferring Assessment
Do you have all of the answers you need to answer M1850? Accurately assessing your patien... Read more
Wound Care:
Beef Up Wound Care Documentation to Prevent Needless Denials
Tip: E-photos can help speed wound care advice. Poor outcomes in wound healing can lead to... Read more
Follow This Wound Photo Guidance
The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society has published a position paper that inclu... Read more
OASIS News:
Drop M1012 From Your OASIS Worry List
Plus: Watch for OASIS-C-based reports and outcomes to go public this summer. The list of O... Read more
Tool:
Keep Tabs On These Common High-Risk Medications
Use this handy tool to help identify high-alert medications and how they work. You see ma... Read more
Management:
Use This Clever Tool to Help Staff See the Good They Do
Also find out free ways to help staff in need and how to turn around chronic complainers.... Read more
Tool:
Staff Can Use This Form to Share How They Are Helping Patients
Nursing expert puts a new spin on 'incident report.'  ... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Vanquish These 7 Common Errors to Perfect Your Diabetes Coding
Can Type II diabetics have diabetic cataracts? Are you falling prey to diabetes coding mi... Read more
ICD-10:
Don't Let This ICD-10 Crosswalk Quirk Trip You Up -- Bone Up On Osteoarthrosis coding
Hint: Specifics like unilateral, bilateral, and post-traumatic will help you nail this di... Read more
Industry Notes
What do you do when a patient won't sign a home health advance beneficiary notice? This... Read more
Correction
The quiz, M1030: Test Your Knowledge About Therapies at Home, which ran in Vol. 12, No. 6 ... Read more
Reader Question:
What Counts As 'Close To' For Therapy Reevals?
Question: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in episodes with multiple... Read more
Reader Question:
M1350: Answer Yes for Wounds or Lesions That Require Intervention
Question: Our patient had a burn with orders for the nurse to assess and change the dress... Read more
Item Focus:
M1030: Rack Up Full Clinical Points for Therapies with These Tested Strategies
Are you overlooking this common implanted device that could bring you more points? Your a... Read more
Quiz:
M1030: Test Your Knowledge About Therapies at Home
Do you know which response to choose when administer Pedialyte? Now that you've boned up ... Read more
Assessment:
2 Step Process Can Cut Down Chronic Transfers
Decrease OASIS paperwork and hospitalizations with this advice. Your chronically ill pati... Read more
ICD-9 Coding:
Safeguard Your Therapy Claims With These OASIS Cross-Checks
It's up to you to 'connect the dots' between documentation and coding. Your therapy claim... Read more
ICD-10 Coding:
ICD-10 Replaces 486 for Unspecified Pneumonia With J18.9
You have two years left to prepare for the diagnosis coding shift. When coding for a pati... Read more
ICD-10 Transition:
Vanquish These 3 ICD-10 Myths to Jump Start Your Transition
Contrary to popular opinion, the ICD-10 diagnosis code set will not be more difficult to ... Read more
HIPAA:
Don't Jump to Meet Every Lawyer's Records Request
Being too helpful with patients' confidential information could be a HIPAA violation. Whe... Read more
Industry Notes
• If you receive more outlier payments than average, you may soon be in the hot seat. T... Read more
Reader Question:
M1840: Count Effort when Scoring Toilet Transferring
Question: Our patient has multiple sclerosis and uses a mechanical lift for transfer to t... Read more
Item Focus:
M1342: Ask Two Questions to Report Most Problematic Surgical Wound's Healing Status
Hint: Know the difference between primary and secondary intent healing. Documenting wound... Read more
Assessment:
Manage Infections to Ratchet Up Pressure Ulcer Outcomes
Do you know when an infection requires an orthopedic consult? Treat a pressure ulcer infec... Read more
ICD-9 Coding:
Check the Record for Nonroutine Supply Point Details
The original SOC isn't always the last word in diagnosis coding. One way you can maximize ... Read more
Tool:
Nail Surgical Wound Healing Status with This Guidance
The Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) has the final say on which details m... Read more
Documentation:
Take 6 Steps To Keep Up With New Therapy Changes
Your therapy retooling process should already be in full swing. As of April 1, big change... Read more
Tool:
Check Out these Diagnosis Crosswalks To Smooth Your ICD-10 Transition
New code set provides greater specificity and includes 2011 diagnoses. To help ease your ... Read more
Conferences:
Don't Overlook Tax Write-Offs for Conferences
Learn how you can boost our career and get a deduction. If your employer reimburses all o... Read more
Education:
Get Training On Industry Outlook, Diabetes Coding And More
Check out Eli audioconferences on Homebound Status and other topics. You can receive v... Read more
Industry Notes
CMS is switching its OASIS submission vendor from AT&T to Verizon, CMS's Kim Jasmin s... Read more
ICD-10:
List Seven Digits for Infected Surgical Wounds Come 2013
Know which seventh digit is generally off-limits for home health. When ICD-9 becomes ICD-... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Count Staple Or Suture Sites for M1342
Question: When sutures are removed from surgical wounds healing by primary intention, how... Read more
Item Focus:
M1400: Breathe Easier When Assessing Dyspnea
Use your clinical judgment when deciding between responses 2 and 3. OASIS item M1400 asks... Read more
M1400:
Ace Dyspnea Assessments with These Tips
Know which questions to ask for an accurate assessment. To make certain you score M1400&n... Read more
OASIS Updates:
Bone Up On These Recent OASIS Corrections and Answers
Are you certain you're following the most recent OASIS Guidelines? Instructions and guida... Read more
Assessment:
Boost Your Bottom Line: Stop Losing Valuable Nonroutine Supply Points
NRS points can add as much as $569 per episode. The 2011 Home Health Prospective Payment d... Read more
Documentation:
Follow 3 Tips To Keep OASIS and Therapy Documentation Consistent
Don't hem yourself into a 24-hour turn-around. Cleaning up inconsistencies between start ... Read more
ICD-9 Coding:
Keep Diagnoses in Order to Maximize Nonroutine Supply Points
Here are the seven categories you should track to get the NRS payment you deserve. Nonrou... Read more
Tool:
Nonroutine Medical Supplies (NRS): Case-Mix Adjustment Variables and Point Scores
This table, formerly Table 10A of the final PPS rules (CMS-1541-FC), shows how nonroutine ... Read more
ICD-10:
Don't Wait: Begin Your ICD-10 Transition and Stay Ahead of the Game
Four phases set the milestones for your ICD-10 transition. Staying on top of ICD-9 and OA... Read more
Reader Question:
M1300, M1302: Sync up Your Pressure Ulcer Risk Answers
Question: Our patient scored no risk on the Braden Scale for predicting pressure ulcer ri... Read more
Guidance:
Welcome this Stasis Ulcer Answer
Prepare for ulcer coding conflict between OASIS, ICD-9 guidance. Coding for ulcers is nev... Read more
Widespread Edits:
Stay on Top of Widespread Edits to Keep Your Claims Safe
Don't fall into this open wound trap. Delays or denials resulting from claims caught up i... Read more
Coverage:
3 Tips Help Secure Your B12 Injection Claims
Check the LCD for diagnosis code guidance. B12 injections can require skilled nursing, but... Read more
Clip and Save:
M1340: Keep this Tool Handy to Keep Surgical Wound Confusion at Bay
Not all surgeries result in surgical wounds OASIS item M1340 asks "Does this patient have... Read more
Training:
M1340, M1350: Put Your Wound Coding Expertise to the Test
Can you tackle these wound coding conundrums? Surgical and open wound coding can be compl... Read more
Education:
Get More Out of Professional Conferences with 4 Tips
Take your own notes -- don't rely on speaker handouts. Attending a conference is a g... Read more
Clarification:
Get this Ambulation Update
In "Follow The 3 Ws To Accurately Track Ambulation Improvement" (OASIS Alert v11n12), the ... Read more
Contractors:
Prepare for Intermediary-To-MAC Transition Now
You'll lose payment if you aren't using this new payer ID number by the deadline. If Palm... Read more
Medical Review:
Guard Alzheimer's Patients' Claims from Denial
Only 8 percent of claims squeaked past this review. Thorough documentation is the only way... Read more
Industry Notes
It's a good time to make certain your OASIS submission procedures are top-notch, since in... Read more
Reader Question:
Document Your Patient Transfer Checks With this Simple Strategy
Print two pages for easy reference. Question: We admitted a patient who had no record of ... Read more
Education:
Know Which Ulcers You Must Always Report on M1380
Stage II pressure ulcers may heal, but for Stage III and Stage IV it's another story. M13... Read more
Training:
Click On This Falls Risk Assessment Tool from CMS
All disciplines should feel comfortable conducting falls risk assessments. Home care pati... Read more
Try the SBAR Approach for Cross-Provider Communication
Communication always flows better when you're prepared. To that end, the Centers for Medic... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
You'll Still Earn Case Mix Points for Hypertension in 2011
It's safe to list HTN as primary, just make certain your documentation is supportive. Bac... Read more
Coverage:
Use 8 Homebound Strategies To Make Claims Audit-Proof
The homebound verification process starts with good intake procedures. Auditors are takin... Read more
Contractors:
New Medicare Contractor Takes Over Cahaba Region
HHAs and hospices from 15 states will see new Medicare contractor in 2011. States in the ... Read more
ICD-10:
Welcome a Partial Code Freeze as You Prepare for ICD-10
Say goodbye to ICD-9 in 2013. If you've been wondering how you can stay up-to-date on the... Read more
Documentation:
Say Goodbye To Date Stamp For Physician Signatures
New stricter guidelines will require physicians to date signatures themselves starting Ja... Read more
Clip N Save:
Keep this Chart Close at Hand for Easy BMI Calculation
Know when it's safe to code obesity, and when you should list a code for BMI alone. The 2... Read more
Reader Questions:
Keep Up with New Single Visit Payment Requirements
Question: We have heard that Medicare now requires a completed OASIS for payment. Does th... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know when to Complete RFA 7
Question: New text in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, CMS Publication 100-4, Chapt... Read more
Available Years:  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002