NewsLine - February 2011 - (Page 1)

The Monthly Membership Publication of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization February 2011 Inside Face-to-Face Encounter Recap This new Medicare rule went into effect on January 1, but on the request of NHPCO, CMS has granted a three-month suspension of its enforcement. This recap covers the requirements and the steps you should be taking now—along with tools that can help. Documenting Hospice Physician Services: Guidance on Doing It A Message from Don NHPCO President/CEO Don Schumacher speaks to the valuable role we must serve in our communities in light of the Administration’s recent decision on voluntary advance care planning consultations. Right T By Christopher P. Acevedo, CPC, CHC he use of physician services in hospice and palliative care has increased dramatically in the last decade—by roughly 500 percent! At the same time, billing Medicare for physician services has become more challenging, especially as the patients being admitted to hospice have more complex medical conditions and may need more physician involvement. Given this, it comes as no surprise that many organizations are struggling to bill—and code—correctly for these services. As a physician billing consultant, it is always eyeopening for me to have discussions with hospice compliance staff only to The Voice of NCHPP In this new monthly feature, NewsLine shines the light on the work of NCHPP and each of its 15 professional sections. This month the CEO/Executive Director/President Section is spotlighted, with a landmark article by hospice leader, Mary Labyak. find the staff has difficulty answering questions about compliance activities concerning physician services. With that in mind, this article will review the allimportant process of documentation— namely, how to substantiate hospice physician services through proper documentation. The overwhelming majority of hospice physician services must be substantiated by the level of service provided (or complexity of the patient) as well as by the amount and type of documentation the physicians generate. It is also important to understand that most physicians do not receive any formal education on how to continued on next page People and Places News about NHPCO members. Educational Offerings NHPCO conferences, Webinars, webcasts and E-OL courses. FHSSA Quarterly Newsletter Plus: 2011 Hospice Predictions What are the pressing issues that face our field and how best can hospices prepare for them? Three members of NHPCO’s leadership team offer their insights.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - February 2011

NewsLine - February 2011
Documenting Hospice Physician Services
A Message from Don
Physician Service Codes Reference Sheet
2011 MLC (display ad)
A Recap of the Face-to-Face Encounter
2011 Hospice Predictions
National Social Work Month Gift Ideas (display ad)
The Voice of NCHPP: The Experience Model
CEO Executive Mentoring Project
Hospice Executive Scholarship Program (display ad)
Recruiting Problems? HMR (display ad)
Now Online: Winter Insights
Members in the News
Upcoming Educational Offerings
New NHDD Website!
FHSSA Newsletter

NewsLine - February 2011