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As of April 1, physicians who order home care services for their Medicare patients are required to document that they had a face-to-face encounter with the patient prior to certifying the patient’s eligibility for home care services. The face-to-face encounter is a mandated provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, which is intended to reduce fraud and abuse among home health providers.
Despite this goal, the new documentation requirement poses the threat of a significant paperwork burden on practitioners, including hospitalists.
Many providers have remained unaware of this new requirement, but those who are aware have been experiencing confusion as to what, if any, additional paperwork is required of physicians. SHM, along with the American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician groups, have requested clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the documentation requirement. SHM also is advocating that CMS keep the additional paperwork burden to a minimum.
CMS denied a request to extend the implementation deadline to allow for more provider education. Despite denying the extension, CMS has committed to continue monitoring for problems and unintended consequences caused by the new requirement.
CMS also has clarified the face-to-face documentation requirements: “Physicians may attach existing documentation as long as it includes necessary information and evidences the need for home health services.”
An example would be for a physician to attach the patient’s discharge summary or relevant portion of the patient’s medical record that evidences the need for home health services. Instead of creating an entirely new document or filling out an additional form to evidence the face-to-face encounter, physicians will have some flexibility in determining the existing documentation they will use. This is an option that hopefully will reduce some of the burden.
CMS could produce further guidelines in the future. SHM intends to continue following the issue and advocating on behalf of hospitalists. For the most up-to-date information, visit http://questions.cms.hhs.gov and enter the search term “home health face-to-face.” TH
As of April 1, physicians who order home care services for their Medicare patients are required to document that they had a face-to-face encounter with the patient prior to certifying the patient’s eligibility for home care services. The face-to-face encounter is a mandated provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, which is intended to reduce fraud and abuse among home health providers.
Despite this goal, the new documentation requirement poses the threat of a significant paperwork burden on practitioners, including hospitalists.
Many providers have remained unaware of this new requirement, but those who are aware have been experiencing confusion as to what, if any, additional paperwork is required of physicians. SHM, along with the American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician groups, have requested clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the documentation requirement. SHM also is advocating that CMS keep the additional paperwork burden to a minimum.
CMS denied a request to extend the implementation deadline to allow for more provider education. Despite denying the extension, CMS has committed to continue monitoring for problems and unintended consequences caused by the new requirement.
CMS also has clarified the face-to-face documentation requirements: “Physicians may attach existing documentation as long as it includes necessary information and evidences the need for home health services.”
An example would be for a physician to attach the patient’s discharge summary or relevant portion of the patient’s medical record that evidences the need for home health services. Instead of creating an entirely new document or filling out an additional form to evidence the face-to-face encounter, physicians will have some flexibility in determining the existing documentation they will use. This is an option that hopefully will reduce some of the burden.
CMS could produce further guidelines in the future. SHM intends to continue following the issue and advocating on behalf of hospitalists. For the most up-to-date information, visit http://questions.cms.hhs.gov and enter the search term “home health face-to-face.” TH
As of April 1, physicians who order home care services for their Medicare patients are required to document that they had a face-to-face encounter with the patient prior to certifying the patient’s eligibility for home care services. The face-to-face encounter is a mandated provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, which is intended to reduce fraud and abuse among home health providers.
Despite this goal, the new documentation requirement poses the threat of a significant paperwork burden on practitioners, including hospitalists.
Many providers have remained unaware of this new requirement, but those who are aware have been experiencing confusion as to what, if any, additional paperwork is required of physicians. SHM, along with the American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician groups, have requested clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the documentation requirement. SHM also is advocating that CMS keep the additional paperwork burden to a minimum.
CMS denied a request to extend the implementation deadline to allow for more provider education. Despite denying the extension, CMS has committed to continue monitoring for problems and unintended consequences caused by the new requirement.
CMS also has clarified the face-to-face documentation requirements: “Physicians may attach existing documentation as long as it includes necessary information and evidences the need for home health services.”
An example would be for a physician to attach the patient’s discharge summary or relevant portion of the patient’s medical record that evidences the need for home health services. Instead of creating an entirely new document or filling out an additional form to evidence the face-to-face encounter, physicians will have some flexibility in determining the existing documentation they will use. This is an option that hopefully will reduce some of the burden.
CMS could produce further guidelines in the future. SHM intends to continue following the issue and advocating on behalf of hospitalists. For the most up-to-date information, visit http://questions.cms.hhs.gov and enter the search term “home health face-to-face.” TH