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Cabinet for Health & Family Services
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
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Home Health Agency Newsletter
January 2021
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The Kentucky Office of Inspector General is committed to the protection of patients and residents of healthcare facilities from the spread of infectious disease. Regarding any coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, you may refer to the following website for the most up-to-date news and information:
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NEW TRAINING EVENT
From Data Elements to Quality Measures – Cross-Setting
QRP Web-Based Training
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides a high-level overview of how data elements within CMS patient/resident assessment instruments are used to construct quality measures (QMs) across post-acute care (PAC) settings. The PAC settings included are those covered under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs) for Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). Information covered will include a short review of the QRPs’ cross-setting quality measures (QM), how data elements feed into these cross-setting QMs, how QMs are calculated and appear on QM reports and how to access and use this data for quality improvement.
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NEW TRAINING EVENT
Section M: Skin Conditions - Assessment and Coding of
Pressure Ulcers/Injuries Web-Based Training
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the assessment and coding of pressure ulcers/injuries. This 90-minute course is intended for providers in Home Health Agencies (HHAs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), and is designed to be used on demand anywhere you can access a browser.
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Home Health Quality Reporting Program
Reporting Home Health Quality using OASIS Data
The instrument/data collection tool used to collect and report assessment data by home health agencies is called the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Since 1999, CMS has required Medicare-certified home health agencies to collect and transmit OASIS data for all adult patients whose care is reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid with the following exceptions: patients under the age of 18, patients receiving maternity services, patients receiving only chore or housekeeping services. OASIS data are used for multiple purposes including calculating several types of quality reports which are provided to home health agencies to help guide quality and performance improvement efforts.
OASIS-D1 is the current version of the OASIS data set. The OASIS-D1 All Items instrument and the OASIS-D1 Follow-Up instrument were revised to accommodate the changes effective January 1, 2020. The original OASIS-D versions for all other time points remain in effect as of January 1, 2020. OASIS-D was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on December 6, 2018, with an expiration date of 12/31/2021. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0938-1279.
CMS is delaying the release of the updated version of the OASIS (OASIS-E) to provide maximum flexibilities for home health agencies to respond to the COVID-19 Pubic Health Emergency (PHE). The release of the updated version of the OASIS will be delayed until January 1st of the year that is at least 1 full calendar year after the end of the COVID-19 PHE. For example, if the COVID-19 PHE ends on April 30, 2021, home health agencies will be required to begin collecting data using the updated versions of the item sets beginning with patients discharged on January 1, 2023.
Quality Reporting on Care Compare website
CMS posts a subset of OASIS-based quality performance information on the Care Compare website. These publicly-reported measures include outcome measures which indicate how well home health agencies assist their patients in regaining or maintaining their ability to function and process measures which evaluate the rate with which home health agencies use specific evidence-based processes of care. CMS also reports information on Medicare fee-for-service claims-based measures and Home Health CAHPS® (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) measures on Care Compare.
Lists of all home health quality measures and designation of which are publicly reported can be found on the Home Health Quality Measures page accessed from the list on the left of this page. For more information on the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Survey, please visit the official HH CAHPS® website.
Star ratings are other prominent features of the Care Compare website that summarize some of the current measures of home health care provider performance that are publicly reported. The star ratings are an additional tool to support consumers' health care decision-making.
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OASIS Answers Home Health Training Webinars
The OASIS Answers, Inc. (OAI) "Just in Time" monthly home health training webinars are designed to provide the most innovative training to your clinicians, clinical leaders, quality improvement teams and auditors. These sessions will ensure that you are aware of and know how to apply the most recent, most relevant, and most accurate CMS home health information. Monthly topics are based on the issues that are most pertinent to agencies for the month and will be driven by CMS updates or changes that are critical to agency success.
Upcoming sessions are available in either a Live or Recorded format. Previously aired webinars are offered as a recording only. Take a peek and see how the OASIS Answers' webinar series can supplement your organization's training!
Click HERE to reserve your spot!
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Interested in Serving on an IDR Panel?
Kentucky requires one member of the IDR panel to be "a person currently engaged in the provision of Home Health Agency services who has no affiliation with the provider disputing a deficiency." Typically, a Home Health Agency Director is on each IDR panel. There is no payment or travel reimbursement for a Director serving on a panel. Directors will be rotated. If a Home Health Agency Director is interested in serving on a panel, a confidentiality statement must be signed prior to the participation in the first IDR panel.
Chrystal Daugherty, IDR/IIDR Coordinator
Office of Inspector General
116 Commerce Ave.
London, KY 40744
Fax: (606) 330-2054
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Home Health Agency Questions and Answers
Home Health Agency (HHA) Providers can access the Home Health and OASIS Q&As and other reference manuals on the HHA Providers Reference site.
These Questions and their responses have been developed over many years of experience training OASIS coordinators and are currently used as part of the Home Health Agency Surveyor Training program. They can and should be used by home health agency providers in training new staff on the basics of OASIS and also as a refresher for existing staff.
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OASIS Answers, Inc. is a team of experienced nursing and therapy professionals who concentrate their skills, experience and passion to meet the needs of clients at the state association, federal government, quality improvement organization, private industry, and individual provider levels.
Click here for the latest information on their webinars.
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OASIS CONTACT INFORMATION
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For questions regarding OASIS Assessment, Coding, Transmission or Technical Issues,
For questions regarding HHA Licensing or Regulations,
contact Rose Thompson via e-mail.
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Please note: Do not send any identifiable patient information through e-mail. This includes patient names, SSNs, dates of birth or any other data items considered identifiers or Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. Please redact any PHI prior to sending.
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OASIS Data Specifications
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KARES
To enroll in KARES voluntarily, please click the icon above and follow the self-directed enrollment process.
For additional information about the program, please contact the help desk at (502) 564-2159 or via email.
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Click here to visit the website or click here for guidance on how to verify and update home health demographic data.
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Reporting Complaints
Email addresses have been established for use by patients and the general public to report possible violations of regulatory requirements. Click Here for the email addresses and additional contact information based on the facility's location.
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Which Branch
is Serving You?
To provide the highest level of service, the Division of Health Care operates through four regional offices. Knowing the appropriate Branch to contact with questions and concerns will ensure you receive maximum service in minimum time. Review links below for detailed information.
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CMS Survey and Certification memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices.
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Medicare Learning Network
Let the Medicare Learning Network (MLN) be your home for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) education, information, and resources.
Visit the Medicare Learning Network for free educational materials for health care professionals on CMS programs, policies, and initiatives.
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Quality, Safety & Education Portal
CMS's QSEP provides the full curriculum of surveyor training and guidance on health care facility regulations. All training is available on-demand on a top-notch self-service portal. 24/7 access means you have the freedom to learn what you want, where you want, when you want.
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Want to Know the Top 10 Citations for Home Health Agencies?
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Sign Up for This Newsletter
If you have received a copy of this newsletter from a friend or co-worker, you can click on the Sign Up button to enter your information and join our mailing list.
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Employment Opportunities
To search and apply for positions within the Office of Inspector General, please visit the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet's web page by clicking the sign above.
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DHC Leadership Team:
Inspector General
Deputy Inspector General
Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
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Commonwealth of Kentucky | Office of Inspector General | 275 East Main St., Frankfort, KY 40621
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The Office of Inspector General is the regulatory and licensing agency for all health care, day care and long-term care facilities and child adoption/child-placing agencies in the commonwealth.
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